Five Days with the Avatar
by DJNS
Summary: Aang goes on a small segue in time before finally returning home. Conclusion to Future Echoes.
1. Missed Opportunities

**A/N: So I am posting this sooner than I anticipated because I know a lot of you were confused by Future Echoes' ending. I promise, promise, promise that everything will make sense by the end of this story. It has a two-fold purpose: 1. To give Future Echoes a proper conclusion and 2. To give you guys a break from the neverending angst (I needed it too.) Trust me when I say that there is a method to my madness.**

**Now, onto the bad news. Weekly updates. I know I say that all the time, but this time I really mean it. I'm in my final semester of nursing school and I barely have time for anything that doesn't involve me wearing scrubs, so it will take me at least a week to write and complete an update. But, I owe you guys this ending so there's no way I'm **_**not**_** finishing it barring any life disasters. So, in keeping with that, see you guys next Saturday.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. That belongs to Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and I'm incredibly glad that it does.**

* * *

**Missed Opportunities**

Katara was as good as her word. She concluded her interview in less than thirty minutes. Twenty seven minutes and sixteen seconds to be precise and she wasn't even overly concerned with the prospect that she had possibly blown it. Her mind had been someplace else…more specifically on _someone_ else the entire time.

After she finished receiving their generic "we'll be in touch," Katara wasted no time scraping together her belongings and scrambling for the elevator to get back down to the lobby area. She almost broke her ankle in the process, still unused to the wobbling heights of her black stilettos, but she hardly cared. Her mind was focused on a single goal…getting back down to the lobby as fast as she could.

Of course, being that she was so urgent about it, the Universe then had to conspire against her. First, it took the elevator what seemed like half a century to arrive. Then, when it finally did arrive, it seemed as if a small village wanted to board along with her and, worse still, they moved with all the speed of oozing molasses. Katara tapped her foot impatiently, mentally cursed the other occupants, secretly blaming them for holding her up and tried not to lose her temper as she waited for the last of them to lumber inside.

On the ride down, she thought about what the man in the elevator had told her before and Katara felt a bit overwhelmed by the possibility. She was aware that the Avatar was staying somewhere in the Beifong Luxury Suites, but was it _really_ possible that she had met him in the lobby or that he would be a charming goofball with an amazing smile? In all the times Katara had pictured the Avatar in her head, she had never imagined him anything like that.

Part of it was due to the fact that, the last time the Avatar had appeared in public at all, he had been Avatar Roku. But that had been more than a decade ago and Roku had since died and the new Avatar had been reborn. Granted, Katara had known intellectually that the newest avatar would be young given that Avatar Roku had only died sixteen or seventeen years before, but…

This was _The Avatar_ after all, bender of all four elements and inarguably the most powerful being in their universe. She couldn't imagine him flirting with random girls in a hotel lobby and crouching behind potted bonsai trees. Surely, he'd be more serious, more dignified, more…avatar-y…right? Katara supposed that the best option she had available to her was to ask Aang directly and that was exactly what she planned to do.

Unfortunately, the execution of that plan was a bit tricky because, when she finally reached the main floor and rushed from the elevator in a mad dash, Katara soon discovered that Aang was nowhere to be found. She scrupulously checked behind every plant in the area as inconspicuously as she could, but he wasn't behind a single one of them. Most notably, though, the men in suits and the distinguished monks who had been there earlier had disappeared as well. Katara wondered if Aang had been discovered after all.

Mildly panicked by the thought, she made a beeline straight for the check-in counter for answers. She favored the hotel clerk behind the desk with a winning smile, but the woman merely regarded her with a dour stare. Undeterred by her less than welcoming expression, Katara chirped, "Hello, I was wondering if you might be able to help me. I'm looking for someone. There was a boy in here earlier, about six feet tall, gray, hooded sweatshirt, jeans, sneakers, the most amazing smile you've ever seen in your life…big, blue arrow in the middle of his forehead…you couldn't miss him."

"Sorry," the clerk said rather unconvincingly, "Haven't seen him."

Frustrated, but not completely thwarted, Katara set aside her belongings and leaned in closer to the clerk so that their conversation was less likely to be overheard. "Listen…between me and you, I know he's the Avatar. I just need to know what room he's staying in, so if you could just tell me, I'll be on my way."

"Miss, I can neither confirm nor deny that the Avatar is staying here in our hotel."

"You don't have to confirm it," Katara told her, "I _know_ he is and I'm his friend. So, if I could have his room number that would be very helpful."

"If you were his friend, wouldn't you already have his room number?"

Katara started to argue that point, realized belatedly she had none and snapped her mouth shut, only to formulate yet another argument a split second later. "Okay, okay…perhaps, friend is too _strong_ a word. Technically, we only met thirty minutes ago, but we were supposed to meet in the lobby because he owed me a cup of tea."

"Tea?" the clerk parroted dryly, "Really?"

"I realize that I sound crazy," Katara rushed out, "and that you're about five seconds away from having security throw me out on my rear, but have you ever met someone and there's this instant connection between you and suddenly you're overwhelmed with the need to know this person better? Well, that's me. I met this guy, this incredibly funny and sweet guy in your hotel lobby and I just want to get to know him better. Can you please tell me where to find him?"

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."

Katara dropped her head to the counter with a muted groan before straightening to gather her purse, jacket and portfolio with a defeated sigh. "Yeah…that's what I thought you'd say."


	2. Day One

**Day One**

Aang sat curled in the windowsill of his lavish hotel suite, his thoughts preoccupied with events that had happened a day earlier. He knew that he was supposed to be listening to the monks as they briefed him on the press conference he would be having later that evening but, as he stared out the window of his hotel suite, he couldn't keep his mind from drifting. _Katara._ He hadn't been able to concentrate on anything of real importance since their literal collision in the hotel lobby the previous afternoon.

His fascination with her went far beyond her outward appearance, though he had to admit that she was pretty. _Very pretty_. However, there was something deeper, intrinsic and almost otherworldly about the pull he felt towards her. He had recognized the feeling almost from the instant they collided, but he had known for sure when he looked into her eyes. He _knew_ her. They were connected in a profound way, but how that was possible Aang didn't know. Unfortunately, as a result of how events had played out, Aang didn't think he would have the opportunity to explore that connection either.

About a split second after Katara had boarded the elevator, he had been discovered and hauled back to "the safety of his suite" so that he could be lectured for two hours on the dangers of his impulsivity and irresponsibility. For Aang, it was the same song, different day. He knew that he was hardly what the monks had anticipated in Roku's successor but he was the avatar they had. Consequently, they were determined to mold him into what they thought he should be. Aang, on the other hand, was determined to stay exactly who he was…a carefree, sixteen year old boy with an unbridled spirit. The two goals, of course, were diametrically opposed.

When he had evaded his handlers the day before, he had done so with some half formed planned to temporarily seek refuge on his parents' farm just outside of Ba Sing Se. He planned to stay there long enough to say his goodbyes to them and retrieve his beloved sky bison and then he was going to make a new life somewhere else entirely where no one knew his name or his identity as the avatar. All of that had changed when he plowed into a sassy waterbender with the most expressive blue eyes he had ever seen. After that, Aang was pretty certain he wasn't going anywhere…except to follow her around like a lovesick puppy.

Now the likelihood was that he would never see her again. He had been dragged away and given no opportunity to leave her a message about where he had gone. When he managed to sneak back down to the lobby later, she had already gone. The only thing Aang had to show for his daring was a heavier security detail.

One of the clerks had mentioned to the monks that some "crazy young woman" had come to the front desk with the claim that she was friends with the avatar, but that she had seen through the ruse and turned the girl away. Aang had only been able to make out bits and pieces of the story from his hiding place behind the wall that separated his room from the others, but it was enough. The monks had quickly dismissed the girl as yet another one of his rabid fans, but Aang was sure the girl in question had been Katara.

He had promised her that he would stay put and he had inadvertently broken that promise. Based on that promise, she had returned to the lobby only to find him gone. But she hadn't immediately given up. Instead, she had gone so far as to hound the desk clerk for information on his whereabouts only to be stonewalled in her efforts. In the end, she'd been practically kicked out of the hotel for her trouble. It was probably extremely unlikely that they would cross paths again and, after the unceremonious way she had been treated on _his_ account, Aang wasn't entirely sure that she would want to…

The sudden clap of a hand slamming against a table surface snatched Aang from his musings. "Aang! Are you listening to me at all? You haven't heard a single word I've said, have you?"

He snapped erect at the sharp admonishment, caught off guard by Monk Choden's altogether rare explosion of temper. "No, I haven't been listening! I mean, yes, I have! I mean…you were saying?" he finished sheepishly.

Monk Choden regarded him with a disapproving frown, deepening the vee in his bushy uni-brow. "This is serious, young man," he intoned brusquely, "You are in training to become the sole protector of the free world and the keeper of peace and order! It might behoove you if you left off in your daydreaming for once and paid attention to the matters at hand."

"Tonight you're presenting me as Avatar Roku's successor," Aang sighed with youthful impatience, "Other than standing there and smiling like an idiot while reporters snap my picture, I don't know what else you want me to do."

"Some restraint and dignity would be welcome," Choden sniffed, a comment which earned murmurs of agreement from his fellow monks, "You cannot continue on as you have been…running away and disappearing whenever the whim strikes you. There are very real dangers out there for you, young airbender. These days are treacherous. You must be cautious, modest and mild-tempered."

"In other words, you want me to stay isolated, quiet and boring," Aang surmised with a sullen frown, "Oh, goodie. Can't wait."

"It is for your protection."

"Your definition of 'protection' feels like a prison to me."

"That is just the type of attitude I mean," Choden huffed, "You have been bestowed with a great honor and yet you treat it as a burden."

"My apologies, Monk Choden," Aang murmured contritely, "I don't mean to be disrespectful or ungrateful."

"We don't want to confine you, Aang. We want you to behave as the avatar you were born to be," Choden emphasized.

"You see, that's the thing…just because I was 'born to be' the Avatar that doesn't mean I feel like I am," Aang argued, "You tell me that I'm supposed to protect the world and make it a safe place for everyone, but it's not even safe for _me_ right now. Benders are being targeted and discriminated against. It's getting so that we're not allowed to even bend in public places anymore…sometimes not at all. How am I supposed to protect the very people who are trying to hurt me?"

"No one said that your responsibilities would be easy ones. That is why you must speak with King Kuei and convince him that this new law he means to pass is wrong," Choden said.

"And how do I do that?" Aang cried, "I'm a sixteen year old kid who doesn't even have his driver's license! I don't know anything about politics or being the avatar! Why would he listen to me at all?"

"You are no sixteen year old child, Aang. You are a timeless being who has existed since the world's beginning. You are the Avatar. King Kuei _will_ listen to you."

"I appreciate that you have so much confidence in me, Monk Choden…but I don't feel the same."

"You will…with time." With a reverent bow, he gathered up his robes and turned for the door that adjoined his suite with Aang's. His fellow monks fell into step behind him. Before exiting, however, he stopped to address Aang one, final time. "Meditate on the matters we have discussed here today. Try to consider the seriousness of your position, Aang. You carry the burden of the world on your shoulders."

Aang scowled in his wake. "Yep, because telling me stuff like that makes me _really_ eager to do this job," he muttered glumly.

He hopped from the windowsill and then crossed the room to fling himself across the expanse of his king-sized bed. With a low groan, he turned his face into the mattress and tried not to give into the urge to cry. But it was a difficult thing to do. As nurturing as Gyatso had been throughout his transition, his seasoned mentor could not take the place of his beloved parents. He couldn't substitute for the loving home that Aang had known. Aang missed that home. He missed his parents. His missed Appa.

Everyone kept telling him what a great honor he had, but all he truly felt was confined, lost and incredibly lonely. The first burst of hope he'd had in weeks was when he collided with a feisty waterbender by the name of Katara. In just ten minutes of conversation, he had smiled more with her than he had in the previous two months. It had been the most free he'd felt in quite a while.

Aang sat up abruptly and stiffened his shoulders, blinking back the frustrated tears that had formed in his eyes. He had two choices set before him. He could be an obedient little Aang and stay in his room until the press conference _or_… He could be proactive and take as much control of the situation as he could. The latter won out fairly easily. Aang had never been one to wallow in self-pity.

Maybe he didn't have the freedom to comb the streets of Ba Sing Se looking for Katara, but that didn't mean he couldn't hang out in the hotel lobby in the hopes that she might show up again. After all, she had come there for a job interview. If she was hired on at the hotel before he left for the North Pole at the end of the week, there was a good chance he might bump into her again.

With that hope already blooming wildly in his heart before he'd given any real thought to the feasibility, Aang grabbed up his light, hooded jacket from the floor and his glider before making a mad dash for his door. The instant he yanked it open, however, he came face to face with the armed guard who had been stationed right outside of his room. He favored the man with a disarming smile. "Hiya, Moku. How's life treating you these days? You're looking fit. You been working out, huh, buddy?"

"I can't let you out, Aang," Moku sighed, not at all cajoled by the young Avatar's flattery, "You know that."

Aang wiggled his brows conspiratorially. "So don't let me out then," he wheedled, "_Escort_ me instead."

Moku narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "To where?"

"I'm not going any further than the lobby." When Moku continued to regard him warily, he held up his right hand in solemn vow. "You have my promise as the Avatar."

The guard rose from his perch with a heavy grunt. "Don't make me regret this, kid."

He decided to hang out in the hotel restaurant, which was adjacent to the lobby and provided only a large glass partition to separate the two. Aang deliberately took a table nearest the window that overlooked the entrance so that he had a bird's eye view of everyone who came and went. He hardly seemed aware of Moku's penetrating stare as he quietly nursed his cherry coconut smoothie and watched the entrance with all the concentration of an experienced hunter.

Confused and amused by his behavior, Moku asked, "What's with you lately?"

Aang didn't even spare him a glance when he replied, "I don't know what you mean."

"You've been wilder and crazier than usual…and that's saying something for you."

"Well, the fact I have to leave my parents and my home in four days and I have no idea when I'll see either again has a lot to do with it."

"But haven't you done that before?" Moku wondered, "I thought you had been dedicated to the Southern Air Temple and that you lived there until you were twelve."

"I was…I _am_," Aang explained, "But that was different. I wasn't isolated from my folks then. I could see them whenever I wanted. We even traveled together. But this is different. The monks say that I must be secluded while I learn the three remaining elements. It's a very spiritual process and I can't afford to be distracted."

"How long does that usually take?" Moku wondered.

Aang shrugged. "It depends on the person. It took Roku nine years to master them all." He shuddered at the thought before taking another sip of his smoothie. "That's definitely not going to be me."

"You know…" Moku began in a pensive drawl, "…this transition might not be so difficult for you if you stopped being so resistant to it."

That comment had Aang making a skeptical face at his keeper. "How much did they pay you to tell me that one?"

"I'm serious. I know this isn't the greatest situation and you feel like you're in a prison most of the time, but life is what you make it, Aang. If you keep acting like being the Avatar is the worst thing to ever happen to you, then it will be…"

Aang slowly rose from his seat, clearly distracted by something going on near the entrance of the hotel. "Moku, hold that thought," he said, already snatching up his glider and scrambling from the table, "I'll be right back!"

He was only vaguely aware of Moku dogging his heels as he quickly shouldered his way through the restaurant patrons and practically sprinted across the lobby foyer just as Katara started to push through the revolving doors. "Katara, wait!"

She froze and whipped a startled glance over her shoulder at him, her pretty face wreathed in a relieved smile. She didn't really have time to lament not wearing something a little dressier than jeans, sneakers and a Ba Sing Se University sweatshirt because she was so overjoyed at seeing him again. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you! It's been a nightmare trying to get you a simple message."

Knowing very well that Moku was hot on his heels and this unexpected meeting would likely end before it even began, Aang closed the distance between him and Katara, never once breaking his stride. When he reached her, he snagged hold of her wrist and dragged her through the revolving doors, ignoring Moku's bellows for "security" as he did. Katara stammered out her confusion.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Are you afraid of heights?" Aang countered quickly, his eyes darting between her face and the men currently rushing forward to apprehend him.

Katara looked at up him with a befuddled frown. "I…what…am I what?"

"Never mind…no time to figure it out," he said, throwing open his glider and pulling her against him simultaneously, "Just hold on tight and don't look down!"

"Aang, what are you…?"

The rest of her words were snatched from her throat in a startled scream as they were suddenly airborne, soaring high above the milling pedestrians on the sidewalk below. Paralyzed with fear, Katara tightened her grip on Aang's neck and buried her face deep into his collar with a low squeal. "You are completely insane!" she growled into his throat, "What are you doing? You're going to get me killed!"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm making a getaway." Katara's grip became even more vise-like. "Would you relax? You're cutting off my blood supply. I'm not going to drop you."

"You'll forgive me if I'm not brimming with confidence right now," she retorted tartly, "You didn't even give me any time to prepare!"

"It was an emergency. This was probably going to be my last chance to talk to you," he answered her above the wind. He angled a crooked smile down at her. "I had to take it."

Katara resisted the impulse to soften at his smile but it took a lot of effort. "Where are you taking me?"

He gracefully maneuvered them through towering skyscrapers and high-rise apartment buildings. "I don't know. I hadn't thought past snatching you and running away."

"You do realize that what you've done constitutes kidnapping, right?" she mumbled into his throat.

Aang chuckled. "Yeah…sort of… Are you going to press charges?"

"That depends on how soon you set me back down on the ground."

Heeding her implicit warning, Aang scoped out a safe place for them to land before finally bringing them down on the low rooftop of a nearby building. The instant he did, Katara stumbled away, clearly relieved to be on the ground once more. "Sorry about that," he mumbled, "They were coming for me. I had to think fast."

Katara favored him with a sideways glance. "When you say 'they,' you mean the people who were chasing you yesterday afternoon, don't you?"

Aang scratched behind his ear, suddenly self-conscious in her presence. "Uh…yeah."

She pivoted to face him fully then, her expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Why didn't you tell me that you were the Avatar?" she demanded bluntly.

"It's not exactly my idea of an icebreaker," he joked.

"I'm being serious."

He slumped forward with her insistence, any hope he had that his identity wouldn't be an issue between them dying a quick death. "I didn't tell you I was the Avatar because I never wanted to be," he told her softly, "I spend most of my days pretending it's not true."

"But…but…don't you feel like it's an honor?" Katara wondered in surprise.

"No. Not so much."

"I don't understand. Why not?"

"It's complicated."

Katara, however, was not that easily deterred. "You just kidnapped me and subjected me to cruel and unusual punishment by dangling me a 1000 feet in the air," she said, incurring Aang's sharp burst of laughter, "The least you can do is explain to me what you mean by that."

Aang sighed, hardly invulnerable to her coaxing smile…and somehow she knew it. "I didn't find out I was the Avatar until three months ago," he confessed, "Before that, I lived with my parents on a small farm just outside of Ba Sing Se. I spent the first 12 years of my life living at the Southern Air Temple while I trained to master airbending. Once I had, the monks let me leave to live with my folks full-time."

He smiled at the memory. "That was the best…time…ever. But all of that changed when they told me I was the Avatar. I had to leave my parents again, only this time I can't even see them like I did before. Nothing's been the same since."

"No wonder you said you felt trapped in your own life," Katara murmured, "I guess in a way, you kind of are."

Aang toed the gravely surface of the rooftop. "Yeah…everyone keeps telling me that being chosen by the avatar spirit is an honor and a privilege. I'm still waiting for it to _feel_ like either one though." Realizing that he was meandering down self-pity road and not wanting to continue, Aang deftly changed the subject. "Okay, now you know what brought me to Ba Sing Se…what about you?"

"Me?" Katara bleated, as if the idea of talking about herself was a foreign concept.

He grinned at her. "Yes, _you_. Now it's your turn to provide a life history."

"There's nothing to tell," she replied with a laconic shrug, "I grew up in a small village in the South Pole and three weeks ago, I came here to live with my brother while my application to Ba Sing Se University is pending."

"That's it? There are plenty of universities all over the world. What made you choose Ba Sing Se? Was it your brother?"

"That's part of the reason," Katara hedged, "It wasn't really _my_ idea to enroll. It was my Dad's. He thought I needed a change of scenery."

"Why's that?"

A haunted looked shadowed the usual brightness of her blue eyes. "My mother died last winter…ovarian cancer. I haven't been dealing with that very well."

All teasing vanished from Aang's features. "Katara, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize. You came to Ba Sing Se to find some perspective and peace and, instead, I've just brought you into the middle of all my chaos."

She offered him a small smile. "It's okay," she reassured him softly, "Besides, I think I kind of needed to be shaken up a bit…and you definitely did that."

In an instant, Aang's crooked smile was back and punctuated by a rosy blush as well. "Eh…I try." His expression became positively shy, however, when he asked her, "So does that mean you're still willing to have tea with me? I haven't forgotten, you know."

"Oh, Aang, you don't have to do that. It was an accident."

"What if I want to do it?" he emphasized and then he sweetened the deal by adding, "I know a great place…best tea in the city."

Katara bit back a girlish giggle. "Okay. You've convinced me."

"There's just one, teensy tiny catch…" he inserted delicately.

"What's that?"

"We're going to have to fly there."

She tipped a grim glance over the edge of the roof before looking at him again and inhaling a deep breath and squaring her shoulders in anticipation of what was to come. "Bring it on."

He took her to a place in the middle ring called the _Jasmine Dragon_. She was a little concerned when they arrived and found the place closed for business, but Aang didn't seem bothered by that fact. Katara quickly learned the reason why. It rather became apparent that he was a regular there because the instant he tapped on the glass door and announced himself, the owner let him in and greeted him with a very big and very warm hug.

"Aang! It's so good to see you again. I thought you would leave the city without saying goodbye."

"You know me better than that, Iroh. I wouldn't leave without a goodbye," Aang murmured, "I brought a friend with me today. I told her you brewed the best tea in the city."

Iroh colored and coughed modestly while also regarding Katara with an appraising eye. "Well, I don't know about all that…" he murmured with a widening smile, "So, Aang…what did you say your _girl _friend's name was?"

Aang shot Iroh a quelling look over the deliberant emphasis he put on the "girl," but otherwise didn't comment on it. His and Katara's flaming blushes were reaction enough. "This is Katara, Iroh. Katara, this is Iroh. He's known me since I was three years old and you can't take a single thing he says seriously."

As Iroh opened his mouth to contest that statement, a young man with unruly hair and an equally unruly disposition came stalking out from the kitchen, his handsome features drawn in a cross scowl. "Did you know that there are stories about you all over the news right now?" he demanded irascibly, "Don't you have a press conference tonight? Can you never go a full day without getting into some kind of trouble?"

"It's good to see you too, Zuko," Aang replied in a dry tone.

"This is no time for jokes," Zuko retorted, "When are you going to start taking your responsibilities seriously and stop playing around, Aang?"

"When you _start _playing around and stop being so serious," Aang said.

Zuko growled at him. "Ugh…you make me crazy."

Seemingly unfazed by the lecture, Aang turned to Katara and said, "Katara, this is Zuko…my surrogate big brother, best friend and self-appointed conscience. Zuko, this is Katara. Be a good host and say hello."

"Hello," Zuko grunted in accommodation before exploding in a low hiss, "Are you telling me that you are _five_ days away from beginning your training and you're picking up girls? _Now?_ Really, Aang?"

Aang masked his embarrassment and discomfiture behind an alluring smile. "Will you excuse us for a moment?" he asked Katara sweetly before shooting a meaningful glare over at Zuko. "Could I talk to you in the kitchen?"

Katara watched Aang drag Zuko off with an amused shake of her head. "He does that a lot, doesn't he?" she murmured to no one in particular. But when she finally tore her attention away from Aang's retreating back, she found Iroh regarding her with a toothy smile. A bit discomfited, Katara smiled back at him. "Um…hello there…"

"So how long have you known Aang?"

She glanced at her watch and did a quick mental tally. "If I count the ten minutes we talked yesterday afternoon, forty two minutes total."

Iroh's eyes flared wide. "Oh. And he's already bringing you here for tea? Impressive."

"Um…well…I don't know…"

Katara was still fumbling around for some response to that when Zuko and Aang emerged from the kitchen, still bickering amongst themselves. However, when they caught sight of Katara and Iroh watching them, they immediately quieted. Zuko plucked his jacket from a peg on the wall and shrugged into it. "Uncle, I have to go," he said, "Mai, Azula and Ty Lee are waiting for me to pick them up from the mall and if I'm late I'll never hear the end of their yakking." He flicked a glance at Katara. "It was good to meet you," he uttered politely before returning his attention to Iroh, "Try to talk some sense into him while I'm gone, please."

Just when she thought she had the surly young man figured out, however, Zuko surprised Katara by abruptly lurching around to draw Aang into a brief but affectionate hug. "Take care of yourself. If I don't see you again before I get back, I'll find a way to get a message to you," he promised, "Don't worry so much."

"I'll try."

Without another word, Zuko ducked out the door and left behind a curiously despondent Aang in his wake. Katara tugged on his jacket sleeve. "Did you two have a fight in the kitchen?" she asked timidly.

The corner of Aang's mouth turned in a bittersweet smile. "No. I'm just gonna miss him."

Just as Katara started to question him on where he was going exactly, Aang's cell phone trilled to life. He dug it out of his pocket and glanced at the caller id screen. Almost immediately, he expelled a deep groan.

"Bad news?" Katara ventured.

"My dad," Aang clarified with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Katara. I need another minute. I gotta take this." The instant he clicked on the call, Aang was frantically making explanations. "Hey, Dad…Dad…Dad, listen to me…no, I'm not doing that…yes, I know that…no, I'm not trying to send you to an early grave! Would you stop freaking out for two seconds and let me explain?"

Iroh gave a delicate cough to catch Katara's attention. "Since it seems like Aang is going to be busy for a while, why don't I get you that tea?"

"Do you have mint ginseng?"

"Well, of course."

As Iroh busied himself making Katara's tea and Aang tried to keep his father from having a stroke, Katara took the time to peruse the homey, little teashop. There were only a dozen or so tables inside of the shop. At first glance, it seemed like a rather dingy, nondescript establishment, but as Katara surveyed the Fire Nation memorabilia on the walls and scattered pictures of Iroh's friends and family, she could easily see that the place had character. She was studying one photo in particular when Iroh came to deliver her tea. Katara murmured her thanks.

She took a sip of her tea, humming her approval from the first taste. "Aang was right," she said, "You _do_ brew the best tea in the city."

"Aang is very biased when it comes to those he loves, but I accept the compliment with humble gratitude."

Katara smiled and turned her attention back towards the picture that had drawn her. In particular, she studied the shy little boy, standing between a male and female airbender, with his face pressed into the female airbender's skirts. He didn't seem at all agreeable to having his picture taken.

"That one is Aang and his parents," he explained, "He had only turned three a few weeks before that photo was taken. I met them when they were traveling through the Fire Nation on their way from the Western Air Temple. We became fast friends."

"How did you all end up in Ba Sing Se together?" Katara wondered.

"That was _my_ doing. Tenzin and Lasya were looking for a place to settle after Aang left the temple and I suggested that they come here to Ba Sing Se. After that, Aang and my nephew Zuko became very close and we all became like extended family."

"I know we just met but…I can tell he cares about you all a great deal," Katara said.

"And what about you?" Iroh prodded gently, "How does he feel about you?"

Katara ducked her head with a sheepish blush. "I…we haven't known each other very long. He…he only brought me here because he felt like he owed me."

"My dear, I have known Aang practically his entire life. If he brought you here today, I can assure you that it had nothing to do with repaying a debt."

Somewhat overwhelmed by the idea of the Avatar being even remotely interested in her, Katara quickly steered the topic of discussion around to something that had been niggling at her since before Zuko left. "What did your nephew mean before when he said that Aang had to leave in four days? Where is he going?"

Iroh pinned her with a sharp glance. "He hasn't told you?"

"We…uh…we haven't really had much time for conversation," Katara replied with a sheepish smile.

"I'm sure you're aware of who he is…aren't you?"

Katara choked back a laugh over his flimsy attempt to be cryptic. "Yes. I know he's the Avatar."

"Then you know that he has to train in order to master the four elements," Iroh said, "At the end of the week, Aang will be leaving for the North Pole to begin his waterbending training."

She was still reeling over that revelation when Aang finally ended his call with his father and came over to join them. He immediately noted Katara's stricken expression and gave Iroh the side eye. "What have you been telling her?"

"Nothing terrible. Maybe if you weren't such a troublemaker you wouldn't have to worry so much." He bounced a look between the two young people, very aware of their preoccupation with one another. "I think I'll go get the tea started for the lunch rush," he drawled, "You two, feel free to stay here as long as you like."

With that rather obvious declaration, Iroh excused himself, leaving Aang and Katara to contemplate one another in tongue-tied silence. She was the first one to break it. "So…uh…did you smooth everything over with your dad?"

"Not really. The monks are flipping out over my 'disappearance.' I have to get back to the hotel before this turns into a full-fledged manhunt."

Katara set her cup aside on a nearby table and expelled a disappointed sigh. "I guess this is the last time you and I are going to see each other, huh?"

"I don't want it to be."

She jerked a startled glance to his face. "But…I thought you had to leave soon."

"I do," he confirmed sadly, "But that's not for another four days and I'd like to spend every moment of that time with you, if I can."

Katara could help but smile a little. "And how exactly are you going to do that if you're on lockdown?"

"I have my ways," he replied mysteriously, "But none of that matters if you don't want to see me again, Katara."

She felt her cheeks warm under his boyish scrutiny. "I want to see you again."

"Excellent!" He lurched around and darted over to the counter to find a scrap of paper and a pencil. He quickly scribbled something down on the back of an order slip and brought it over to her. "That's the address where I'll be tomorrow morning. Can you meet me there?"

Katara studied the directions. "I'm still learning my way around the city, but I'll find it. Trust me."

He flashed a charming grin. "Good. It's a date then."

"Yeah…" she agreed with a slow smile, "It's a date."


	3. Day Two, Part One

**Day Two, Part One**

"Katara! I was beginning to think you weren't going to show."

Aang had been nervously pacing the sidewalk in front of Gyatso's dojo when Katara finally rounded the corner. But the instant she came into view, he stopped short and dragged his shaking fingers through his disheveled mop of hair. In that second, he was positively beaming. Katara favored him with a beaming smile of her own.

They regarded one another awkwardly for a few moments. If Aang felt flustered over this second meeting between them, Katara was even more so. She had spent the previous evening after they parted ways obsessing over the reality of what she had just done. She had made _a date_ with the Avatar! She, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and general nobody, had a date with the most powerful being in the universe! There was certainly no pressure there whatsoever. Granted, she was putting the majority of that pressure on herself, but still it was a lot to take in…especially when she kept being assailed with the vague feeling that she and he had done this before. Katara simply couldn't shake the sense that she knew Aang from somewhere else…that, as impossible as it seemed, they had met one another before. She found the words slipping from her mouth even before she'd completely formulated the thought.

"It's weird, but…I feel like I know you."

"I should hope so since we spent about an hour together yesterday," Aang teased her.

"No. I mean _before_ that moment, _before_ you ran me over like a freight train. Have you ever spent any time in the South Pole at all?"

"My family and I used to travel all around the world, but I've only been to the South Pole a handful of times," he said, trying to recall a specific moment when they could have met one another, "It's possible, but pretty unlikely."

"I guess so…"

"I know what you mean though. I've been getting that same vibe that we've met before too. Maybe we did and we just forgot about it."

"Maybe…" Katara murmured, "It's just driving me a little crazy right now."

"Don't worry. I'm sure it will come back to us eventually."

Katara deliberately shifted her thoughts away from solving that particular enigma. "I'm sure you're right." Once again, they found themselves standing in the middle of the sidewalk and grinning at one another stupidly. Passersby scooted around them and a crisp, morning mist fell over their heads but neither of them seemed to notice. "I'm sorry I was so late," Katara murmured, "I got a little turned around after I got off the train. Deciphering my brother's handwriting is like breaking some kind of secret code."

"You don't need to apologize," Aang said, "I'm just glad you made it."

He surveyed her with an appreciative once-over, drinking in the sight of her long, braided hair with alluring hair loops, tan ankle boots, dark, leather jacket and short, blue striped mini-dress. She offset the ensemble with a clunky, coral bracelet around her neck and a simple, silk choker with a dangling silver pendant. It was a far cry from what she had been wearing the day before. Although Aang had found her equally captivating in jeans and a sweatshirt, seeing so much of her exposed skin was wreaking havoc on his senses. His eyes lingered on her shapely legs for a split second before he deliberately raised his eyes back to hers. But the instant their gazes connected, it was obvious that Katara had been aware of his attention.

She blushed and so did he. Aang rubbed at the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "You look really beautiful."

"Thank you."

She glanced over him as well, surprised to find him in a traditional bronze and gold Air Nomad uniform rather than his usual hoodie, blue jeans and white sneakers. She realized that the attire was rather common among his people, but she still hadn't expected him to be so…culturally dressed. Katara almost felt as if she should have worn a ceremonial Water Tribe tunic rather than the loose fitting mini-dress she had chosen. And what was even more ridiculous, she didn't find that idea at all outlandish.

Katara immediately shook off the crazy thoughts. "You look quite…monkish today." She flicked an ironic look at his tousled locks. "Well, except for the hair anyway. Is there a special occasion you haven't mentioned?"

"It's standard training issue. I didn't get a choice in the matter." He tunneled all ten fingers through his spiky locks, spiking them even further. "As for my hair…don't get too used to it. That's going to be gone before the week is done. The monks are shaving my head before we leave for the North Pole." Not wanting to give her too much time to contemplate the mental picture, Aang extended his hand to her. "Come on inside. I want you to meet someone."

After tugging self-consciously at the edge of her dress, Katara let Aang lead her inside the dojo. She felt as if a million butterflies had been released into the pit of her stomach. The idea of meeting yet another person close to Aang was daunting, not only because he was so willing to introduce her when they had only just met but also because of how desperate she felt to make a good impression. She had only known the guy for two days and already he was consuming every emotion she had. The realization was very disconcerting.

Once she stepped fully inside the dojo, however, Katara felt some of her anxiety lessen. It was minimally decorated as was the case with most Air Nomad facilities and, therefore, she wasn't completely overwhelmed by any décor or memorabilia. In fact, aside from the rows of mirrors that lined the walls, there were only a few orange and yellow mats on the floor and not much else. The only curiosity was a lumpy mass in the far corner of the room that was covered over with a light blanket. Everything else in the dojo was simple and standard. Katara pivoted once before turning to survey Aang with a questioning glance.

"Is this where you come to train?"

Aang nodded. "Yep…ever since we moved here."

"How long ago was that?"

"I was twelve and a half," he told her, "I spent the first four years of my life living with my parents, but then I had to go to the Southern Air Temple to train and study."

"It must have been difficult being separated from your folks," Katara commiserated. "That's one of the hardest parts about being in Ba Sing Se for me. I hate being so far away from my dad."

"It wasn't so bad. I got to see them pretty often…a lot more than I do now." Despite the somber tone of their conversation, he managed a bright smile. "Besides, I mastered airbending relatively quickly…a lot faster than anyone anticipated. That's why I was able to go back home as soon as I did."

Katara's lips turned up in a coy smile. "You must be very good if you earned your tattoos so young. Would you be willing to show me some of your moves?"

"That depends, Katara," he drawled slowly, closing the distance between them in deliberate inches, "Would you be willing to show me some of yours?"

"Why do I get the impression that neither of you are talking about bending right now?"

Any saucy response Katara might have had to that question lodged in her throat when Aang's airbending instructor suddenly materialized from the back room. Aang and Katara scrambled apart with furious blushes while he simply regarded them with a knowing grin. The airbender took advantage of their mortified silence to stride forward and introduce himself to Katara.

"I am Gyatso," he said, inclining himself forward in a formal bow, "I assume you are the young lady Aang wanted me to meet today."

"Gyatso is the one who taught me airbending when I was at the Southern Air Temple," Aang explained, "He gave me my tattoos. Basically, he's known me my whole life."

"I have a vested interest in him," Gyatso said, "I trained his father Tenzin as well."

"It's…uh…very good to meet you, Monk Gyatso, sir," she stammered nervously, "I'm Katara, as you probably already know. I hope I'm not intruding on anything."

"No at all," Gyatso chuckled, "I've been anticipating your arrival all morning. Aang could barely sit still, he's been so excited. He couldn't even concentrate to train this morning. Suffice it to say, I was very eager to meet the young woman who had left him so distracted."

"Gyatso…" Aang groaned in long-suffering, "If you care about me at all, do not say another word…" He made a slicing gesture across his throat in what was meant to be furtive, but his actions only caused Katara's amused smile to widen.

The older airbender chuckled again. "Fine. I will take pity on you," he relented, "You two enjoy your morning together. I'll be in the back if you need anything." He offered yet another bow to Katara. "It was very good to meet you."

"You too," Katara murmured absently, watching Gyatso retreat with a curious frown. When he was gone, she angled a confused frown up at Aang. "I'm not interrupting your training today, am I?"

"No. I explained everything to Gyatso this morning and he was good enough to give me a day off."

Katara furrowed her brow. "Explained what exactly?"

Aang lightly snagged hold of her wrist and led her over to the corner of the room where the odd, blanket covered incongruity was located. He leaned down to whip it away with a magician's flourish. "Taa daa!"

She was taken aback to discover that what had been concealed beneath the coverlet had actually been two glasses, two plates and two pairs of chopsticks. In the between each setting, however, was an oversized picnic basket. Katara whipped a soft, surprised look over at Aang. His cheeks lightened to a becoming shade of pink with her adoring expression.

"You packed us a picnic?" she breathed in giddy disbelief, "That's so thoughtful!"

"Oh, now don't go building it up to more than what it is," Aang warned, "I only threw some bread, fruit and rice into a basket along with a thermos of hot tea. It's not like I roped the moon for you or anything."

"It's still pretty sweet." Katara rose up on her tiptoes and pressed an impulsive kiss to his cheek. The instant her lips touched his skin, she was assailed with dozens of images of herself kissing Aang's cheek with the same affectionate ease…only none of those things had ever happened. When she pulled back from him, she was more than a little dazed and so was Aang, though for an entirely different reason.

He fingered the tingling skin of his cheek with an airy smile. "Remind me to pack you brunch more often."

Katara was still trying to shake off the strange sensation that had assailed her when they sat down to eat. Eventually, though, she was able to relax enough to become fully engrossed in her conversation with Aang. As she did, Katara came to understand why Aang had to leave at the end of the week. He explained to her that avatars were usually told their identity when they were sixteen years old. Although, he had always sensed that he was different from others practically his whole life, he never really understood why he felt that _way_ until the monks came. That was the point where he started to lose control of his life.

"The monks said that the time had come for me to begin my training," he went on to explain, "I would travel all over the world, starting in the North Pole and then I would move on to the Earth Kingdom before finally completing my mastery of the elements in the Fire Nation."

"How long does that usually take?" Katara wondered, nibbling a piece of fruit.

"It took Roku nearly a decade," Aang told her, "Centuries before him, there was an Avatar named Kuruk and it took him twice as long."

Katara deflated with a disappointed sigh. "I guess that means you won't be returning to Ba Sing Se for a long time, huh…I mean, if you do at all?"

"I'm definitely coming back and it's not going to take me nine years to do it," Aang declared unequivocally, "My parents are here. My friends are here. And, hopefully," he added with a shy smile, "_you'll_ be here too."

"It's possible. It depends on how long it takes the University to approve my application."

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Close to six months," Katara mumbled in reply, "I had to disclose the fact that I'm a bender. You know how they get about that these days."

Aang flinched. "I'm sorry, Katara."

"It's okay. I know you're going to fix all of that." She seemed not to notice Aang's uncomfortable fidgeting as she added softly, "I saw your press conference last night. I'm glad you're going before King Keui to oppose the law. Benders need someone to speak on their behalf."

"I agree," Aang said, abruptly rolling to his feet, "I'm just not sure that person should be _me_."

Katara frowned at his back. "Of course, it should be you, Aang. You're the Avatar. Who else should it be?"

"Everyone keeps saying that," he lamented, "But it's only words. This job didn't come with an instruction manual, you know! I don't know anything about this stuff. Six months ago, I was busting my tail just to pull a C in my history class and now I'm supposed to be this crusader for peace, justice and equality? I feel so inadequate!"

"Maybe that's how you're _supposed_ to feel," she murmured, "It seems to me that being the Avatar would take a lot of humility otherwise you could abuse your power…"

"…and validate every bad thing the public already believes about benders," Aang finished grimly.

"Exactly," Katara muttered, "They don't understand us and they fear what we can do, so of course we need to be locked away in little boxes so they can control us."

"I'm not even sure when it became 'us' against 'them,'" Aang said, "There's never been a separation for me…Air Nation or not, bender or not…I have friends all over the world." He shrugged lightly. "I guess I just love people."

Katara smiled at him fondly. "And that, I think, is why _you're_ the Avatar, Aang."

"Yeah, I don't know about that," Aang grunted in dismissal. He resumed his seat across from her. "We've beat this Avatar thing to death. Tell me something more about you. Do you have any other siblings besides your brother?"

She shook her head with a short laugh. "Believe me, Sokka is more than enough."

"But you guys must be pretty close if he's letting you live with him."

"Very close," Katara whispered, "Especially since our mother died. Losing her was hard."

Aang reached over to pat her hand in commiseration. "How long was she sick?"

"She was diagnosed when I was fourteen. She'd been fighting it for a while. My mom had a lot of spirit, but I could tell her body was getting tired. She spent a lot of time in the hospital. Finally, she told my dad that she wanted to go home and spend what time she had left with us." Katara blinked back the tears gathering in her eyes. "She died a month later."

"I'm sorry, Katara."

"I blamed myself for a long time," she muttered thickly, "You see…I'm a healer. I worked really hard to keep my mom's cancer at bay, but…in the end, it was stronger than me. I failed her."

"You didn't. Some things are out of our control, Katara. Some things we aren't meant to control."

She scrupulously avoided his compassionate gray stare as she whisked away the tears falling on her cheeks. "Maybe…" While she was making her valiant attempt to pull herself together, Katara caught a glimpse of the clock on the far wall. She emitted a small, panicked cry and began quickly gathering together her jacket and purse.

"Aang, I'm sorry," she said as she scrambled to her feet, "I have to go. I should have been home half an hour ago! Sokka's going to kill me!"

"Is he expecting you?" Aang wondered, helplessly trailing her towards the exit. He didn't want her to leave, but short of throwing himself at her feet and begging her not to, his options were limited.

"No, it's his pet rabbit-lemur," she explained, "I'm supposed to feed him every day at 1 o'clock and if I don't, he goes a little nuts. Sokka's crazy about him. I swear, he'd probably marry Momo if Suki weren't in the picture."

"Um…well…okay…"

Katara pivoted to face him abruptly. "Can I come back again tomorrow?" she asked, "I…I'd like to see you again."

Aang's fretful disappointment gave way to a trembling smile. "You…you would?"

"Well yeah…"

His widening smile abruptly collapsed. "I can't tomorrow," he mumbled in regret, "Gyatso is taking me to see my parents. It's going to be my last opportunity to tell them goodbye."

Katara slumped forward with an unhappy sigh. "Oh…"

"I'm sorry, Katara. Seems like you and I have really lousy timing, don't we?"

"_The_ lousiest," she agreed. She perked abruptly as an idea suddenly occurred to her. "Why don't you come with me, Aang?"

"Come with you?" Aang echoed blankly.

"Yeah…back to my brother's apartment," she clarified, only to blush hotly when Aang practically gaped at the suggestion. "I…I don't mean it like _that,_" she emphasized in a mortified stammer. "I…I just mean you could come with me and we could hang out or something. This probably sounds incredibly lame considering the fact that we barely know each other, but…I don't usually make a habit of inviting strange boys to my house, if that's what you're thinking."

Aang scowled at her good-naturedly. "You think I'm strange?"

She relaxed a bit with his joking manner. "That's putting it mildly," she teased, "So will you come?"

He didn't even take a second to contemplate the offer. "Give me five minutes to change my clothes and let Gyatso know that I'm going."

After promising his mentor that he would return before late evening, Aang and Katara rushed for the subway to catch the first express train down to the lower ring. On the way there, Katara tried to prepare Aang for her humble living quarters. "It's not the fanciest place in the world," she warned him, "Nothing compared to the Beifong Luxury Suites."

"Good. I hate that hotel. It's too full of fussy people." He grinned at her. "Anything else?"

Katara tapped her chin in consideration. "Um…my brother's pet lemur is insane, _especially_ when he's hungry. You might want to prepare yourself."

"No problem, Katara," Aang said when an easy smile, "I'm great with animals."

Ten minutes later, Aang was rethinking that cocky declaration when Katara opened the door to her brother's apartment and his pet lemur leapt onto his head with an outraged screech. Aang yelped and ran around in frantic circles trying unsuccessfully to detach the clinging animal while Katara shouted, "No, Momo! Stop it! Bad lemur! Bad, bad lemur!" Seconds later, Momo discovered the lychee nuts in the breast pocket of Aang's jacket, snatched them and then absconded to the far corner of the living room with his pilfered treasure.

"Are you okay?" Katara choked in horror, "He didn't scratch you, did he?"

Aang regarded her with a dazed expression. "He…he stole my nuts."

"I am so sorry, Aang," she groaned, caught somewhere between mortification and outright laughter, "He's never done anything like that before."

"Sure he hasn't…"

"I tried to warn you…"

"Katara, he stole my nuts."

She lost the fight against giggling then. "I promise I'll buy you some more before you go back to the hotel. Come on in and make yourself comfortable while I fix Momo's dish."

The living room and kitchen were an open layout, separated only by a small island that served as a demarcation between the two rooms. While Katara rummaged around in the pantry, Aang kept a wary eye on the rabid lemur as he surveyed his surroundings. Sokka's apartment was very much a bachelor's pad. His living room consisted of a recliner, a beaten down sofa, a rickety coffee table and one of the largest television sets Aang had ever seen. Upon closer inspection, Aang also discovered a gaming system.

"Sweet…" he uttered in an appreciative mumble. He thumbed through Sokka's selection of games. "No way! Your brother has Airball Pro 9? I've been _dying_ to get that!"

Katara groaned. "Please don't tell me that you waste your time playing those useless video games too."

"Well, what else is there?"

"How about going on a hike or reading a book?" Aang's unenthused grimace of distaste spoke louder than any words he could have spoken. "Or, maybe not," she chuckled as she stooped down to set Momo's dish down before him. When she was done, she straightened and regarded Aang with a laughing smile as he excitedly flipped through Sokka's collection. "Can I give you a tour of the place or have I lost your attention completely?"

Aang returned the game to its rightful place and favored her with a crooked smile. "Never. Tour away."

It was a rather modest apartment with two small bedrooms located on opposite sides of the narrow hallway and an even smaller bathroom at the end of it. Aang was surprised that Sokka was living in a two bedroom place at all. Property was expensive in Ba Sing Se, even in the lower ring. He had imagined when Katara said that she was staying with her brother that she would be bunking on his couch. He made mention of that when they finally returned to the living room.

"Well, I got sort of lucky there," Katara explained, "Suki, my brother's girlfriend…she was originally his roommate. But then, one thing led to another and they ended up with a spare room instead."

"How long have they been together?"

"A little over a year now. I like her a lot. I think she's a keeper." Aang sat down, his teasing remark forgotten when Momo, the rabid lemur, abruptly leapt into his lap and curled up there. Katara laughed at his revolted expression. "Aww…I think he's trying to apologize to you."

"I don't know if I can forgive him," Aang said with a haughty sniff, "I can get over the assault, but there's no excuse for petty theft. I would have been happy to share." Momo chittered in remorse while Katara giggled behind her hand at their antics. "You really hurt me," he told the lemur. Momo mewled again, this nuzzling against Aang's forearm and uncurling a single lychee nut from his paw. Aang plucked up the peace offering. "Okay, fine," he relented with a tender scratch behind the animal's ears, "You're lucky you're so cute."

"Wow…you _really_ are good with animals," Katara breathed, "He doesn't usually warm up to strangers at all."

"And what about you?"

It was then that Katara because intensely aware of his heavy stare. That half lidded look coupled with the husky timbre of his voice made her breath catch and speed up a bit. She leaned in a fraction closer to him, as if drawn by an invisible string. "What about me?"

His gray eyes dropped briefly to her lips before connecting with her stirring gaze once more. "Do _you_ warm up to strangers?"

Katara could feel herself blushing madly, but surprised herself when she answered, "I guess it depends on the stranger…"

Her eyes sank closed in anticipation of contact with his lips just as the apartment door suddenly swung open and Suki tumbled inside. For the second time that day, Aang and Katara jerked apart with guilty starts. Suki froze and bounced a questioning look between them. "Um…hello," she drawled slowly, "What's going on here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Katara retorted in a frenetic attempt to regain her composure, "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't scheduled to get off of work for another two hours."

"I wasn't," Suki explained as she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it on the peg next to the door, "But our lovely next door neighbor called and gave me an earful about an hour ago. She said that Momo was going crazy again. I figured you probably forgot to feed him, so I decided to come home and do it myself." She appraised Aang curiously. "Though now I can see _why_ you forgot…"

"Suki, this is my friend Aang," Katara burst out quickly before the older girl had the chance to embarrass her further, "Aang, this is Suki…my brother's girlfriend."

He shifted from beneath Momo, much to the animal's disappointed chagrin, and rose to greet Suki with a proper bow. "It's very good to meet you, Suki. Katara has told me a lot about you."

"That's funny because she hasn't mentioned a word about you," Suki drawled in growing amusement.

Katara lurched forward and hooked her fingers around Suki's forearm, steering her back towards the door. "Well, as you can see, I have everything under control here so there's no need for you to linger. Try to stay warm out there. Bye, bye now."

Suki shrugged out of her hold with laugh. "I'm not going back to work. I'd like to stay here and get to know your friend better."

"Don't…" Katara growled in a warning tone.

"You've never brought a boy home before," she said, "I'm curious. Sue me."

While they exchanged furious whispers, Aang occupied himself over near the sliding glass door that led out to the balcony and pretended that he didn't know he was the topic of discussion between them. Katara snagged hold of Suki's sleeve and dragged her into the hallway. "I swear if you say one thing to embarrass me in front of him, I'll make you sorry," she warned her in an under-breath, "Remember, I'm the one who cooks in this house. Don't make me do something desperate!"

Suki only chuckled at the threat. "Katara, come on," she coaxed in a low tone, "You have to admit that I have reason to be curious. Now spill your guts."

Katara fixed her with a narrowed glare before snapping erect and whirling around to bestow Aang with an over-bright smile. "Aang, could you excuse us for two, short minutes?"

"Hey, if you need me to go—,"

"NO!" she exclaimed before he could finish the statement. Her outburst startled not only Aang and Suki, but herself as well. In a decidedly softer tone, she said, "I don't want you to go. We have a limited amount of time, remember? I'd like to make the most of it."

"So would I," he whispered.

"So you'll stick around?" she cajoled sweetly.

He relaxed into a shy smile. "Yeah…I'll stick around."

Katara smiled at him. "Good. Feel free to fiddle around with Sokka's video games," she told him as Suki started tugging her into the nearest bedroom, "I'm sure he won't mind!"

The instant the door was secured behind them, Suki demanded, "Okay, you want to tell me what that was about?"

"What?"

"You know exactly what? Who is that guy, Katara? Are you dating him? When did that happen and where was I?"

"I…I already told you," Katara fumbled self-consciously, "His name is Aang. And no, I'm not dating him. We're just friends."

"You seem pretty passionate about a guy who's just your 'friend,'" Suki observed, throwing up an air quote for emphasis, "I thought your head was going to explode when he said he would leave."

"You don't understand. He leaves in four days. He's going to the North Pole and there's no telling when I'll see him again. I don't want to waste a minute we have together."

Suki studied the subtle emotions that flittered across Katara's face with a perceptive frown. "Katara, if you like him, why don't you just tell him so?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because I only just met him two days ago," Katara revealed hesitantly.

"What? You only just _what?_" Suki exploded.

"Shh! Not so loud!"

"You only just met this guy and you're bringing him home?" Suki hissed at her, "Are you insane?"

Katara flopped onto her bed with a frustrated huff. "Obviously yes!" she cried softly, "I'm completely insane! I've been obsessing about him since we met and no matter how many times I tell myself that it's crazy to feel so attached to him after such a short time, I still feel attached."

Commiserating with the misery she detected in Katara's tone, Suki sat down beside her distraught friend. "Look, Katara, I get it," she sighed, "He's definitely good-looking. He seems pretty sweet and harmless enough. Believe me, I know how easy it is to get caught up in attraction, especially when it hits you like a punch in the face. But two days definitely isn't enough time to really know someone."

"You don't think I know that? You don't think I've told myself the same thing over and over?"

"But…"

"But…it's like I'm drawn to him, Suki," she murmured, "I can't explain it. I feel like…like there's a connection between us. I can't describe the feeling…it's familiar, comforting. I know instinctively that I can trust him and that he would never hurt me. It goes beyond physical attraction. It's almost like…like something deep inside me knows him on the most basic level. Sometimes when I'm with him, I see things…I see us together, only it's not us. I don't know what it means."

"Whoa…"

"Yeah…"

"Have you told him any of this?"

"Just bits and pieces. But we've talked about it enough for me to know that he feels the same thing too."

"That's…uh…wow…that's pretty intense," Suki said at last.

"Tell me about it."

"So…what are you thinking? Is this love at first sight or something?"

Katara considered the possibility for a second before shaking her head. "No. It's not anything like that." She shifted around to face Suki fully. "Have you ever met someone and known almost instantly that they were going to change your life in some profound way?"

"I can't say that I have."

"Well, that's what I feel for Aang. I liked him immediately. The second I looked at him, I had this sense that I had been waiting for him this whole time and this peace came over me. It's weird. I feel like we were supposed to come into each other's lives, that there's something incredible between us that can't be explained."

"Like destiny…"

"No. It's more like we have this friendship that defies time and space," Katara whispered, "Like we have an instinctive bond between us. I feel protective of him and…and…"

"…And what, Katara?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I guess…now that I have him in my life, I don't want him to leave it."

Suki shuddered a little. "You know you're freaking me out, right?"

"I'm freaking _myself_ out," Katara confessed glumly.

"Listen," Suki urged, "I know you're all caught up in these intense emotions and everything, but can you promise me that you'll try and take it slow? The way you're talking, I'm almost afraid you'll run off and marry this guy." She had meant that last part as a joke, but when Katara didn't crack so much as a smile, Suki started to panic a bit. "Katara, you _do_ know I was kidding just now, right? Right?"

Katara had very little time to contemplate whether or not Suki's comment had been a joke to her because a split second later, the bedroom door flew open and her brother came spilling through it. "Uh…would either of you mind telling me exactly why the Avatar is in our living room playing my video games right now?"


	4. Day Two, Part Two

**A/N: I got quite a bit accomplished over the weekend, so…here you go, lol.**

* * *

**Day Two, Part Two**

Suki flicked her hysterical boyfriend with an eye roll. "Sokka, what are you babbling about? Katara and I are in the middle of serious girl talk. Shoo! Go away!"

"Did you not hear what I just told you?" Sokka emphasized dramatically, "_The Avatar_ is sitting on my couch at this very second!" He wilted back against the wall as the reality of that hit him full force. "The Avatar is sitting on my couch in our living room…" he uttered again, "…and I just left him alone with Toph. Oh no. I gotta go!" He beat a hasty exit from the bedroom then, disappearing just as abruptly as he had arrived.

Flabbergasted, Suki swung a gaping look around at Katara. "Is he for real?" Katara nodded slowly. "That boy in our living room is the Avatar?" Katara gave another deliberate nod. Suki wilted. "Unbelievable. You didn't mention a word about Aang being the Avatar."

Katara ducked sheepishly. "You didn't ask."

"I could throttle you."

"Well, you didn't!"

Suki grunted. "That explains why you're so gaga, at least. Your new potential boyfriend is the freaking Avatar!"

"I wish that was the reason, Suki," Katara sighed, "But it's not. It's _him_."

"Ugh…you and your brother are so weird," Suki muttered, "Alright. Let's get back out there before Sokka makes a complete fool of himself."

When they entered the living room again, Sokka was virtually prostrate before a very flustered Aang and presenting him with a bowl full of seal jerky. Katara groaned inwardly and that was _before_ Sokka said in the most pretentious voice imaginable, "Avatar Aang, would you care for some seal jerky, my good man?"

"Sokka, why are you talking so weird?" Katara demanded, "You sound like an idiot."

Her brother shot her a withering look filled with unspoken reprimand before turning his wide, almost creepy smile back on Aang. "Please forgive my sister. She's hardly versed in matters such as these." He waved the bowl beneath Aang's nose. "Might I suggest the ragin' Cajun flavor, your Avatarness?"

Momo crouched nearby, ready to pounce in case Aang refused the bounty. The furtive lemur had his chance when Aang shook his head with an appreciative smile. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Sokka, but I don't eat meat."

While Sokka had a mini fit of vapors over Aang's reply, Toph grunted from her position on the floor, "That's not meat. That's shoe leather."

For the moment, Toph commanded all the attention in the room. It was difficult not to be fascinated by the picture of a blind girl, folded lotus style on the floor and intensely engrossed in playing a video game she couldn't see. What was even more fascinating…she was winning.

Suki moved to stand beside her, cocking her head to one side in amazement. "I'll never understand how you do that, Toph."

"My ways are many and secret, Grasshopper," Toph told her as she vaporized yet another droid, "Perhaps one day, when you are worthy, I shall teach you my skills."

"You are too kind, oh mistress of wonder," Suki deadpanned. "I'm going in the kitchen to pop in a frozen pizza. Anybody else want anything while I'm in the kitchen?"

"Soda!" Toph called back.

"Chips and dip," Sokka added.

"Water, please?" Aang requested diffidently.

Suki glanced at Katara in expectation. Rather than making a food request, Katara mouthed the words, "Get them out of here." She knew she wasn't getting any assistance from Suki when the pretty brunette merely smiled demurely and turned to go into the kitchen. "Traitor," Katara muttered under her breath.

A bit mortified by the picture her family had already created for Aang, Katara quickly rambled off introductions before things could get any worse. "Aang, you've met Suki, and I'm sure you've already figured out that this is my brother Sokka. And the girl on the floor is his best friend Toph."

"Oh, we've already met," Toph tossed out airily, "He's staying in my father's hotel, remember?"

Aang angled a wry smile up at Katara. "She was in a dress that time and made up with a lot of frou-frou before," he explained softly, "I didn't recognize her at first."

"Yeah…freaking frou-frou," Toph mumbled in aside, "He wasn't quite prepared for what I looked like in my natural state. But then again, I was surprised that he had ventured outside of the hotel without his usual entourage of handlers, yes-men and the figurative shackles."

A slow, creeping heat ascended up Aang's neck. "It's…it's not that bad. Sometimes they give me a break," he replied lamely.

Toph was clearly not convinced, but accepted the explanation gamely nonetheless. "Whatever you need to tell yourself. I'm not knocking it."

After Suki returned with the requested items and took a seat next to Sokka, Sokka reclined deep into the spongy cushions to regard both Aang and Katara thoughtfully. He peeled back the wrapper of a jerky stick. He gnawed off a bite before remarking, "That's the part I don't get. You escape your hotel prison and you come _here_? Not that I'm complaining but why here? How do you know my sister anyway?"

Katara placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder and shot her brother a warning glare. "We're friends, Sokka. That's all you need to know."

"No, it's not. You've been friends with the Avatar and you never bothered to tell me? Who keeps that kind of secret? Last month, I confessed when I wore your socks, didn't I? I'm just asking for the same courtesy."

His sister rolled her eyes in response. "Oh brother."

"Actually, Sokka," Aang said, speaking up on Katara's behalf, "We haven't known each other very long. Katara and I met when she came for her job interview the other day."

That bit of information only deepened Sokka's disapproving frown. He surveyed Katara with a suspicious look. "Oh really? Funny how you failed to mention _that_ too."

"Speaking of that job interview," Toph inserted smoothly, "You should be getting a call from Human Resources any day, Sugar Queen."

"Thank you, Toph. I appreciate you putting in a word for me."

Not at all distracted by their divergence into the job discussion, Sokka pressed further for answers. "So what else aren't you telling me, Katara? You met on the day of your interview and…? Have you guys have been hanging out together ever since? Where did you go all that time? What did you do?"

Suki slapped his shoulder lightly. "Will you stop interrogating her? You're making her and Aang uncomfortable!"

"Why should they be uncomfortable?" Sokka argued, "I'm only trying to understand. Katara is my baby sister! I have a right to know these things."

Katara threw up her hands with an aggravated growl. "Oh, for crying out loud! What exactly do you need to understand, Sokka?"

"Are you dating the Avatar?" he demanded bluntly.

Before Aang could begin to explain that, while they weren't dating, he was indeed interested in doing so, Katara cut him off, surprising Aang completely with the vehemence of her next statement. "No, we are _not_ dating! Aang and I are friends. That's it! Now will you please drop it?"

Sokka seemed to be mollified after that, but it was Aang who was left writhing in inner turmoil. Had he read her signals all wrong? Until a few seconds ago, he had been certain that Katara was just as interested in him as he was in her. Now, he was confused and didn't know quite what to think. Then again, Aang supposed that came with the territory when one knew a girl for less than two days and began to fall for her hard.

He was so intent on brooding over that fact that Aang completely missed what Sokka was saying to him. "…don't you think that's a good idea?"

Aang blinked at him. "What's a good idea?"

The older boy face-palmed. "I swear, your attention span is worse than Toph's!"

"Come say that to my face, jerky boy!" Toph retorted sassily, only to shrug a second later and add, "Eh…forget it. Can I have some of those chips?"

Sokka passed her the bag. "See what I mean?" His reward for that was a blow to the back of his head with the clump of soil from the potted plant located on the kitchen counter. Sokka scowled. "Hey! You know how I feel about you using your earthbendy magic to abuse me!"

Suki dug her elbow into his ribs. "Would you just get on with it?"

"As I was saying," Sokka began again with a dramatic clearing of his throat, "Since you and Katara are already friends and everything, wouldn't it be great if she was your waterbending instructor? I know she's not much to look at, but she's an awesome waterbender!"

Katara gave her brother a look that could have crumbled stone. "Thank you so much for your glowing recommendation, Sokka," she replied dryly, "But I'm certain that Aang already has a waterbending instructor in place."

"I do," he confirmed with an easy smile, "But I'd still like to see your moves. You promised me earlier, remember?"

Katara propped her hip against the armrest of the sofa and gave a dubious scoff. "I made no such promises!"

Aang arched his brows in challenge. "I distinctly recall you making a promise and a promise _is_ a promise. Now show me some moves."

"And I distinctly recall that you're full of crap," Katara countered sweetly, "If you persist in making up these wild stories, Aang, I don't know that you'll ever see my moves."

Toph emitted a long-suffering groan around her mouthful of potato chips. "Ugh…Katara, are you two going to make out or are you going to give him a demonstration already?"

Sokka pursed his lips with a thoughtful frown. "You know…I really don't like all the double entendres going on in this conversation. Can we move on, please?"

"Oh, hush up, Sokka," Katara grumbled good-naturedly though she was blushing…and so was Aang. The two exchanged a darting look, which only heightened the color in their cheeks. Intensely aware that Suki and Sokka were staring at them both with a mixture of amusement and mistrust, Katara composed herself quickly and expertly bent a sinuous ribbon of water from the drinking glass in Aang's hand.

The rivulets formed a liquid halo above Katara's head, looping in slow circles before gradually picking up speed to spin faster and faster. Then, abruptly, all motion stopped. The loop solidified into a chain of glistening ice, only to liquefy again under Katara's command. She formed several geometric shapes and flourishing loops to the "oohs" and "ahhs" of her friends and family before smoothly guiding the water back into Aang's glass.

He quickly set it aside to give her a round of unreserved applause. "That was incredible!"

Katara giggled a bit at his enthusiastic praise. "You really don't get out very much, do you? What I did was pretty standard. Any waterbender with a modicum of skill could do the same."

"No," Aang argued, "You're the best there ever was and that's that."

As Katara struggled to conceal her answering blush, Sokka immediately fell into negotiations. "So, now that you've seen what she can do, are you interested? We're not running a charity here. It's going to be pretty pricey for you, but I think we can both agree that Katara's worth the money."

Katara expelled a dismayed cry. "Sokka! What are you doing?"

"I'm just saying…he needs a teacher, you need a job… This seems like a win/win to me." He was elbowed in the mid-section by his girlfriend with enough force to double him over. "I hardly think that was necessary," he gasped.

Before Sokka could incur more physical violence, Aang spoke up. "Sokka, as much as I would love to have Katara as my teacher," he began in a diplomatic tone, "it's out of my hands. The final decision rests with the monks and they already have someone in mind."

Disheartened, Sokka slumped back into the sofa cushions. "Bummer."

"Why are you sweating it?" Toph asked him, "I already told you that the job at my father's hotel is in the bag."

"Yeah…but I was thinking that being the Avatar's instructor would pay loads more than being a cleaning lady."

Katara reached over to pinch his bicep…hard. Sokka yelped, but his sister clearly delighted in his pain. "Way to pimp me out there, big brother. You have a heart as big as all outdoors…only not!"

Sokka nursed the tender spot on his shoulder. "Gah. A guy tries to look out for his baby sister's best interests and he's rewarded with smart comments and physical abuse. I should kick every one of you out of my place right now."

"This is half _my_ place too," Suki retorted smartly, "Besides, if you did kick us out who would wash your dirty socks?"

"Or cook your favorite meals?" Katara added.

"Or let you mooch off of her continually?" Toph threw in.

Sokka carefully weighed their arguments while tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose there is some merit to your arguments…"

Aang bounced a laughing look between the four of them. "Are you guys always like this?"

Toph offered a noncommittal shrug. "Nah. You actually caught us on an off day."

"An off day?" Aang sputtered.

"It's the weekend," Suki declared, "Let's go out tonight! We should do something else other than have frozen pizza in front of the television."

"What's wrong with frozen pizza in front of the TV?" Sokka pouted, "I like frozen pizza in front of the TV."

"But tonight we have a guest," Suki replied with a meaningful glance in Aang's direction, "We should try and show him a good time."

"That's not necessary, you guys," Aang protested, "I can't really stick around that long anyway and I don't want to put you out."

Katara's brows snapped together in a disappointed frown. "You're going to go?"

Aang was taken about by how reluctant he was to disappoint her. They hadn't known one another for a long time at all and, already, he held her opinion of him in the highest regard. He didn't know why she was reluctant to say goodbye to him anymore than he knew why he was reluctant to say goodbye to her. But there was an inexplicable pull between them and the more time they spent together, the stronger it became.

Therefore, it was with a great deal of reluctance that Aang replied, "I told Gyatso that I wouldn't be gone too long. I should probably head back to the dojo before it gets too late."

"Can't you call him and ask for an extension?" Katara entreated sweetly, "We don't have a lot of time, Aang. I really do want to make the most of it. Please? For me?"

There was something truly compelling about her big, blue eyes. Whenever he looked at her, they turned him into mushy goo. "Okay," he relented, "I'll give him a call."

Gyatso was less than thrilled by his request. Covering for Aang with the monks for a few hours was a doable occurrence. They wouldn't expect Aang as long as he was training and they trusted Gyatso enough to leave Aang in his care unsupervised. But, when evening came, his handlers would return to spirit him back to the hotel and if he wasn't there, Gyatso would have some serious explaining to do. Aang was hesitant to put his beloved mentor in that position and was on the verge of telling Gyatso he would come back directly when the older airbender told him not to worry and that he would figure it out.

"Are you sure?" Aang fretted, "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"I can handle the other monks," Gyatso reassured him, "This is your last opportunity to enjoy your youth before it becomes dedicated to nonstop training. You should have this time, Aang."

When he ended the call and returned to the living room, Sokka, Katara, Suki and Toph were huddled together and bantering possibilities for the evening back and forth amongst themselves. Momo watched their exchange from the kitchen counter, happily finishing off the pizza they had discarded earlier. No one seemed to notice him as they debated their plans for the evening.

Sokka jerked a glance towards Aang as he approached them. "Okay, we've got it narrowed down to three possibilities," he told the young Avatar, "We could check out what's playing at the movies—,"

"—And that's no fun for me, so I'll pass," Toph inserted dryly.

"There's also the option of seeing a probending match tonight," Sokka continued, "I know a guy who knows a guy who has a cousin who could get us tickets."

"In other words," Suki said, "We're going to spend two hours standing in the cold, looking like complete idiots."

"Your confidence in my skills is heartwarming, babe," Sokka deadpanned.

Suki gave his cheek an affectionate pat. "Experience has been a very harsh mistress where you're concerned, Sokka."

Katara spoke up at that point. "Well, even if Sokka's plans weren't disastrous 60% of the time—,"

"—that's a gross exaggeration!" her brother squawked.

"—I _still_ wouldn't be interested in going," Katara finished meaningfully, "Those matches are clearly rigged."

"Well, duh!" Sokka retorted, "That's what makes them so fun. Must you always be a wet blanket?"

"Must you always be a meathead?" Katara flung back.

Suki deftly inserted herself between them. "Ah, ah, ah, children no fighting now or I'll be forced to send you to your beds without supper." Sokka backed down but not before muttering rather petulantly, "She started it."

"If we've finished with this hour's segment of the Water Tribe siblings drama," Toph remarked dryly, "Perhaps, we should leave the decision up to Aang. He _is_ the guest after all."

Three pairs of eyes swung around to regard Aang in expectation. "I'd like to do whatever Katara would most enjoy."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Typical. I guess that means we're going to that new 18 and over club that just opened up on Feng avenue."

"18 and older?" Aang echoed with a concerned frown, "I'm only sixteen. I can't get into a place like that."

"So am I, genius!" Toph told him, "But I'm a Beifong and you're the freaking Avatar. If they don't let us in, then I don't know what this city is coming to."

Katara offered him a reassuring smile. "It will be okay, Aang. This club is one of the few in the city that doesn't discriminate against benders. It's a really cool place. I think you'll like it."

It turned out that she was right…and so was Toph. The instant the doorman recognized her as a Beifong, he let their party through without further inspection. But it was the interior of the club that truly left Aang speechless. Not only was it clear that benders and non-benders could mingle without conflict, but nations too. There were teens from all four nations represented and they hadn't segregated themselves off.

Instead, Earth Kingdom mingled with Air Nation and Fire Nation hung out with Water Tribe. Aang was actually surprised to see so many air nomads because he had always assumed that his parents were among some of the very few to forgo living at the temples in the traditional manner. He had always known that there were other airbending teenagers in the city, but he hadn't known there were quite so many.

Standing next to him, Katara easily spied the unconcealed wonder on his face and smiled. "See? I told you that you would like it."

"This is kind of how I wish the whole world could be," Aang murmured softly.

"It will be," she whispered, "You're going to see to it."

Aang was still marveling over how she managed to have such confidence in him when Sokka announced that he was taking his woman out on the dance floor. Toph ambled after them, but headed in the direction of the bar instead. The last they heard from her was a, "have fun, kiddies," before she was swallowed by the crowd. Katara and Aang were left alone with each other, still hovering near the entrance and growing more and more acutely aware of one another as the seconds passed.

Finally, Aang broke the silence by asking, "So…do you want to…?"

Katara was already shaking her head wildly before he had completed the sentence. "Oh no. I'm going to sit this one out. I don't like to dance in front of people. It looks like I'm having some kind of full body fit. I'll spare them and you."

"Somehow, I doubt you're that bad."

"Let's not test that theory, shall we?"

He flashed an amused smile at her. "But _you're_ the one who wanted to come here."

"I like the music and the atmosphere," she prevaricated a little desperately.

Aang extended his hand to her. "Come on," he cajoled, "We'll do it together."

Katara darted a self-conscious glance around her. "Aang, I can't. There are so many people around and these shoes aren't really meant for dancing, so…"

"Take my hand, Katara," he insisted, "It'll be fine. It's just you and me."

"Fine," she sighed, placing her fingers against his palm, "But if I make a fool of myself out there, you might end up regretting that last statement."

He hadn't quite finished laughing over her dire warning when they began to circle one another on the dance floor. But soon, all of his laughter faded as he and Katara locked eyes, their bodies moving fluidly in time with the fast tempo of the music. A fine sheen of perspiration glistened on their skin , but they maintained their smiles despite the physical exertion. Aang and Katara leaned into each other and fell apart, parrying and twisting, in a sinuous play on their bending styles. At certain moments, they would come close enough to touch, gradually building the anticipation for the moment when they would touch, only to whirl away from each other and begin the game all over again.

However, when the music abruptly changed rhythm and slowed, Aang and Katara left off the pretense of teasing one another. They came together in a tentative embrace, rocking with the more languid beat. Their bodies were flush, aligned in the most delicious way so that every sway caused a whisper of friction between them. Each one was highly aware of the other's proximity and warmth, stiff with nervousness but also trembling with anticipation. In careful, gradual inches, Aang's hand settled into the small of her back, his slender fingers strumming along Katara's spine just above the curve of her buttocks as they pressed together again. Katara peered up at him, her features bathed in the flashing blue, orange, red and green lights that illuminated the dance floor, as mesmerized by him then as she had been the day they met in the lobby of the Beifong Suites.

"Why does it feel like we've done this before?" she asked as they continued to sway together.

Aang favored her with a half smile. "Does it?"

"Yes. Everything about you feels familiar," Katara told him, "I feel safe with you. It's like you've put a spell on me, Avatar Aang."

"Well, if I have, it's the same spell you used on me."

Katara beamed. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"After I met you the other day, I couldn't stop thinking about you," he confessed softly, "The thought of never seeing you again made me a little crazy. I felt terrible for breaking my promise."

"You didn't leave me hanging on purpose. I knew you were on the lamb when we met." Her gentle teasing stirred a short bark of laughter from him. "Besides, I had a pretty good idea why you disappeared _and_ where you disappeared to. It was getting in contact with you again that was the tricky part."

"Sorry about that. I wish things had gone differently," Aang lamented, "We would have had an extra day. It's almost cruel that we only met when we barely have any time to get to know one another."

"Do you really have to go so soon?"

"It's tradition. An avatar always begins his training at 16. It's time. I don't get to decide."

"I don't know if I could handle having other people dictate every moment of my life," Katara said, "I think you're doing an incredible thing, Aang."

"Don't look at me like that," he laughed, "I'm no paragon of virtue. I've run away no less than six times. I drive the monks crazy. I never do as I'm told—,"

"—And yet, when the time comes for you to go, you're going to go, aren't you?" Katara finished sadly.

"I wish I didn't have to go," he whispered.

"So do I," she whispered back, "I just found you. I don't want to lose you."

"We can still keep in touch…you know, write letters, email and stuff like that. Isn't that what friends do?"

Without being aware of it, they had stopped swaying to the music altogether. When the song change occurred and the tempo quickened once more, Aang and Katara didn't even acknowledge it. Katara pressed her face lightly into his shirtfront. "Are we _just_ friends, Aang?"

He shrugged lightly. "I thought so. Isn't that what you told your brother?"

The thread of hurt confusion in his tone had Katara jerking her widened gaze back to his face. She choked back a stunned laugh. "Has that been bothering you this whole time?"

Self-conscious color crept across Aang's cheeks. "No! It…uh…it hasn't been bothering me…exactly," he stammered in reply, "Please, don't think I'm trying to pressure you into anything. I'm okay with us being friends, Katara…if that's what _you_ want."

Her eyes dropped briefly to his lips. "That's not what I want," she told him softly, "At least…that's not _all_ I want."

"Well, what _do_ you want?" he asked, already lowering his head to kiss her.

Katara smiled just before his mouth settled against hers. "I think you have the general idea."

The moment their lips touched was tender and timid, little more than a sighing exchange of breath. It held all the tentativeness of a typical first kiss. They nibbled at one another briefly, carefully acquainting themselves with one another before Aang pulled back to regard Katara in unspoken question.

When he received his answer, pure instinct took over…and somehow else distinctly primal. He kissed her again. This time, he did so slower and deeper than he had before and with a confidence and familiarity he didn't quite understand. He had imagined what she tasted like hundreds of times and was surprised to discover that his imagination and reality were one in the same. He knew the contours of her soft lips and exactly how she liked to be kissed. But, surprisingly enough, Katara seemed to know the same thing. She took his breath as they fell deeper and deeper, each one feeding off the other's implicit desires.

For Katara in particular, there was one wild, fleeting moment of clarity when she fully recognized that she was kissing the Avatar, but then that quickly faded as she found herself lost in _Aang's_ kiss and _Aang's_ warmth. She felt like she had been waiting to kiss him for a hundred years. It was sweet and sensuous and stirring. She wrapped her arms more securely around his neck and pressed closer into his body. Aang tightened his arms around her waist, bringing her closer still. He would have been content to go on kissing her, tasting her mouth with tentative, shallow forays of his tongue, but someone else had other plans. A firm tap on his shoulder caused Aang to pull back abruptly.

He pivoted to find Suki standing behind them with a knowing smile that was free of censure and brimming with laughter. "If it's not your intention to give her brother a show, I suggest you two break it up."

Katara bounced a panicked glance around at the dancers, mentally preparing herself for Sokka's possible meltdown. "He's not around, is he?"

Suki reassured her with a quick shake of her head. "I sent him to the bar to get me a drink as soon as I saw you two attempting to fuse your faces into one."

Aang and Katara blushed hotly, an occurrence that was becoming altogether too common between them now. "Thanks, Suki," Katara sighed, "We owe you one."

"That's probably my cue to leave anyway," Aang told her, "I put Gyatso in a really awkward position by coming here with you guys. I need to get back to the dojo."

"When can I see you again?" Katara asked.

"It can't be tomorrow. You remember I told you—,"

Before Aang could finish his statement, Suki interrupted, "Why can't it be tomorrow?"

Katara shot her a quelling look. "Aang's going to visit his parents tomorrow."

Suki shrugged. "So what? You could go with him."

The suggestion left both Aang and Katara flustered and blinking in speechless consternation. Katara was the first to recover. "I can't go with him, Suki," she argued, "First of all, he's going to see _his parents_. Second of all, he's going with his airbending instructor. And third of all, he didn't invite me."

Hardly discouraged by those arguments, Suki turned a flippant glance towards Aang. "So invite her."

"Suki!" Katara screeched in outraged mortification, "Stop it! You're putting him on the spot and you're embarrassing me!"

"It's okay, Katara," Aang laughed, "I would love it if you came with me. You'd have a chance to meet my folks and they could meet you. I'm sure Gyatso won't mind if you tag along. He's only taking me because I don't have a license…or a car, for that matter."

"Aang, I don't know…" Katara hedged, "I feel like I'm intruding."

"You're not," he insisted, "I want you to come."

"You see, Katara?" Suki inserted with a widening grin, "He wants you to come."

Katara glared at her. "Remind me to choke you later…slowly and painfully."

The older girl responded with a nod of mock solemnity. "So noted. Come on, Katara! You've been whining this whole day about how you and Aang don't have much time to spend together before he's supposed to leave. This is the best option."

"Would you stop trying to pawn me off on him?" Katara hissed, "You're worse than Sokka! And, for the record, I have _not_ been whining!"

Aang nudged her before she and Suki could descend into full-fledged bickering. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to come, Katara. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm just letting you know now that the invitation is an open one. I would have asked you before, but it seemed kind of forward."

"No kidding," Katara mumbled as she cut a meaningful look towards Suki, "Lucky for you I have _very rude and obnoxious friends_!"

"You're welcome," Suki replied without an ounce of remorse.

Katara ignored her and blinked up at Aang with a sweet expression. "And you're sure you wouldn't mind if I came along? What about your parents? They're expecting to spend time with you, not some strange girl you just met."

"You're important to me, Katara. My parents will want to meet you. If you don't come tomorrow, let it be because you don't want to and not because you think you're not wanted."

Katara considered his words for about a split second before she said, "Okay, I've made up my mind. What time are you coming to pick me up?"


	5. Day Three, Part One

**Day Three, Part One**

Aang had only rapped once on the door before Katara yanked it open to greet him with a breathless smile. "Good morning," she murmured almost shyly.

He moved a surreptitious glance down the length of her body, noting her short, ruffled skirt, dark leggings and white, knit top with short sleeves. She was showing less skin than she had the night before at the club, but that didn't lessen her appeal at all. Katara could have been wearing a potato sack and she still would have been the most beautiful sight in the world as far as Aang was concerned.

"Good morning?" he echoed with a shy smile, "It's definitely getting there."

She reddened adorably at that, a fact that made him want to kiss her immediately. It was practically all he had thought about since leaving her the night before, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, Aang found himself hesitating. What was so easily executed in his head, felt painfully awkward in reality. That was due in part to the limited time they had known one another. His feelings for her were strong and growing stronger by the moment, but he had only known her for two days. Surely, it would be completely forward if he started kissing her whenever the whim struck him, especially when they hadn't yet established what they were to each other _or_ what they wanted to be.

The situation was very confusing for Aang. The kiss they'd shared made it evident that they were interested in one another romantically. He didn't doubt that Katara was as infatuated with him as he was with her. But what did that all mean in the grand scheme of things? They still barely knew one another and he was still scheduled to leave for the North Pole by the end of the week. Aang knew that he wanted to be with her, but he had no idea how they were supposed to work or make a relationship when he was literally days away from traveling to the other side of the world.

Should he really be kissing her when they hadn't yet discussed that disheartening situation? If he kissed Katara again wouldn't that imply an intimacy and commitment to her that he hadn't yet verbalized…and she hadn't yet consented to either? Aang didn't have the answers. He also didn't have a great deal of experience with the opposite sex to draw from either. What if Katara had merely been caught up in the sensual atmosphere the night before when she kissed him? Did he really want to take the chance of kissing her again when she might be having second thoughts about it?

In the end, Aang chose to err on the side of caution and hugged her instead, although everything inside him screamed otherwise. As they converged together awkwardly, almost as if they didn't quite know how to execute the embrace, Katara tried not to be disappointed by the fact he hadn't done _more_ than hug her. She had been anticipating his kiss all morning so when he didn't give her one she was left feeling a bit confused. Rather than dwelling on that, however, Katara gave him a genuine squeeze and was smiling brightly when he released her.

"Are you ready to go?" Aang asked.

Katara jerked a nod. "Yeah. Just let me grab my keys and purse."

Aang stepped inside to wait for her, keeping a wary eye on Momo as he did so. The lemur lingered near his food bowl, demurely licking at his tiny paws. He looked at Momo. Momo looked at him. It seemed the lemur's own paws were more interesting, until… Momo's fastidious self-attentiveness ended abruptly when Aang deliberately pulled a small sandwich bag filled with lychee nuts from the interior pocket of his coat. Before Momo could execute his running dive, Aang threw out a hand to stave off the darting creature.

"Ah, ah, ah," he chided Momo, "I'm perfectly willing to share these with you, but you have to ask properly."

Momo obediently settled a few feet away from Aang and looked up at him with beseeching green eyes. Aang stooped to place the entire bag of nuts in the lemur's paw. "You can have them," he murmured, "I just wanted to see if you'd be willing to ask."

As Momo scampered off with his prize, Katara looked on with an amused and adoring smile. "Aww, you two are becoming friends."

He tossed her a smile. "We only needed to understand one another on a basic level."

"Hmm…if you keep on 'understanding' him that way you're going to spoil him rotten," she laughed in warning.

Aang straightened with a light shrug. "Eh…he could use it. He's a good egg." He started to ask Katara again if she was ready, but then a new thought occurred to him as he recognized rather belatedly that the apartment was empty. His brows drew together in a curious frown. "Where are Sokka and Suki? They're not still in bed, are they?"

Katara nodded. "It's their tradition. Every weekend they try to devote most of their time to being together," she explained, "I hardly ever see them when it rolls around. Sokka gets that from our dad."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my dad always said that the way to keep your woman happy is to shower her with attention," Katara recited, "'Don't ever get too busy to let her know that you're just as in love with her as you were the day you met her,' he'd say."

"Good philosophy."

"Yeah, and he lived it too," Katara said with a bittersweet smile, "He and my mom were always going out on dates or taking a weekend together away from us…that is until she got too sick to go. Now Sokka tries to do the same thing for Suki. I think it's sweet."

Aang favored her with a besotted smile. "I think so too. I'd like to do the same thing for _my_ woman."

It was plain to see that Aang had her in mind when he made his agreement. She didn't know what she found sweeter…the fact that he appreciated her father's romantic philosophy or the clear indication that he wouldn't mind it at all if _she_ was _his_ woman. The desire to kiss him rose up strong and unbidden in Katara, but she lacked the boldness to make the first move. It was one thing when the effort was mutual. It was another thing entirely for _her_ to initiate it. The thought of attempting it and risking his rejection was a little daunting. Feeling a little silly and growing increasingly nervous in his presence, Katara attempted to alleviate the situation by announcing that she was finally ready to leave.

"You might want to bring a book or something," he suggested, "It's going to be a long trip, almost three hours. You might get a little bored."

"With you there with me?" Katara challenged with a half smile, "Not a chance."

When they reached the car five minutes later, Gyatso didn't seem at all annoyed that they had left him waiting for ten minutes in an idling vehicle. Instead, he greeted Katara with a warm and gracious smile that immediately eradicated her lingering doubts. She climbed into the backseat along with Aang and thanked Gyatso for allowing her to tag along.

"No need to thank me," Gyatso said, "I suspect you will be rather enjoyable company, Katara."

After Gyatso switched on the radio to listen to his favorite jazz station in an effort to give them some semblance of privacy and pulled out into traffic, Aang and Katara turned towards one another and settled deeper into the cushions. "Don't take it personally if I fall asleep," Aang warned her, "When I was a baby, taking me for long car rides in the country was my parents' preferred method of putting me to sleep. Now I'm hardwired."

"No wonder you told me to bring a book," Katara teased, "It was more for _your_ benefit than for _mine_."

"Hey…I _did_ tell you that I didn't want you to be bored. I tried to save you. Can I help it if you chose not to grab my very benevolent offer of a lifeline?"

She slapped his shoulder playfully. "I'm beginning to think that you're hardly ever serious, Avatar Aang."

"I'm not. It's a sickness, I know."

Katara wasn't sure if it was his straight-faced expression or his unapologetic tone, but she simply had to shake her head in chagrin because part of her suspected that he was more than a little whacky…and she loved it. As her internal giggles died away, she found herself voicing aloud a thought that had been needling her since the day she learned he was the Avatar.

"You're not anything like what I imagined the Avatar would be."

He arched a curious brow at that. "How so?"

"I knew the next avatar would be an air nomad and I just always imagined him _or her_ to be this serious, spiritually inclined person."

Aang puffed out his chest in mock affront. "Who says I'm not serious or spiritually inclined?"

Katara gave his shoulder a commiserating pat. "Aang…" she began, as if she were about to deliver him very dire news, "I don't know how to tell you this, but…you're a goofball."

From his place behind the driver's wheel, Gyatso stifled a laugh that turned into a fit of choking coughs when Aang leveled him with a hot glare. Once his mentor was sufficiently quelled, Aang turned his attention back to Katara. "I'll have you know that I am very serious and spiritually inclined…at least two days out of the week."

She shook her head in giggling chagrin. "You really are impossible."

"Thank you. I do try." He started to settle back into his seat when Katara followed up with yet another question.

"You know…I've been meaning to ask you, Aang," she said, "…why don't you have a driver's license? When I turned sixteen, I couldn't wait to get mine. Maybe you wouldn't fall asleep in the car so much if you were doing the _driving_ rather than the _riding_."

"Ha…ha…" Aang groused mirthlessly, "You're not the least bit funny. Not at all."

"Seriously…" Katara insisted after her spurt of hilarity had passed, "What are you waiting for?"

He flailed around to give her an answer. "Well…I…uh…you see…"

Gyatso shot Aang an arch glance through the rearview mirror. "Aang doesn't know how to drive, Katara," he provided smoothly, "He never learned how."

Aang made a face at him. "Thank you so much for clearing that up for her." He glared darkly when Gyatso merely chuckled in response. "You're helpful as always."

Katara balked. "For real? You don't know how to drive?"

"You say it like I just told you I have a third eye!" he retorted, "It's not that big a deal."

She clearly thought otherwise. "You seriously don't know how to drive?"

"I can drive a tractor," Aang argued weakly, "Does that count?"

The laughing twitch that trembled on Katara's lips told Aang that it did not. "So what happened?" she asked, "Did you miss that critical day in Driver's Ed? Did you just have difficulty mastering those complicated gear shifts or something?"

Not at all amused by her ribbing, Aang lifted his chin to a haughty angle. "For your information," he began in a superior tone, "I didn't _want_ to learn. Who needs a car when you have a flying bison anyway?"

That response left Katara rolling her eyes. "Ugh, not the flying bison again. Didn't we already establish that I don't believe you?"

"And didn't we also establish that your lack of faith hurts me deeply?" Aang countered sweetly, "Just ask Gyatso if you don't believe me."

Katara decided to test his challenge. "Monk Gyatso, does Aang _really_ have a flying bison?" She directed a dubious look at Aang before she added, "One of the _rarest_ creatures in the entire world?"

"Yes, he does," the airbending master answered without preamble, "He is a beautiful and loyal animal."

Immediately, Katara was suspicious, not only because he answered so quickly but because…she could swear she saw his moustache twitch. She fixed Gyatso with a narrowed look of suspicion. "You're in on it too, aren't you?"

Aang guffawed and threw his hands up. "I can't win with you!"

"Why?" Katara challenged, "Because I caught on to the little ruse that you two cooked up? You have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool me, Avatar Aang."

From the driver's seat, Gyatso chuckled and shook his head. "You are much too young to be so skeptical," he chided her laughingly.

"Okay, I'll bite," she conceded with an arch smile, "But I expect to meet this ten ton magical beast as soon as we get to the farm."

"You will," Aang promised, "In the meantime, I should probably know how you like it."

At the whispered statement, a curious fluttering unfolded in the pit of Katara's stomach. She cut him a glance that was part shocked, part intrigued and part timid. "How do I like what?" she asked softly.

Aang leaned in close so that his breath stirred warmly against her cheek when he whispered, "Your crow."

It took Katara a split second to realize that he had been joking with her and, when she did, she was surprised by how disappointed she felt. She shoved him away with a good-natured shove of mock outrage. "That wasn't funny at all," she pouted.

He blinked at her innocently, his wide, gray eyes shimmering in the sunlight that filtered into the car's interior. "Why? What did you think I meant?"

Katara's lashes swept down to conceal the chaotic emotion in the blue depths of her gaze, but she could do nothing to hide the rosy hue in her cheeks. "Nothing," she mumbled, turning towards the window, "Just forget about it."

She could feel his confused stare on her back the instant she presented him with hers. Katara knew she was being a brat, but she didn't quite know how to explain to him what was going on inside of her. She didn't know how to make him understand that what had been a joke to him had taken her mind to at least half a dozen lurid places…all of which had involved _his_ lips. He had been innocently teasing her and she had been plotting to ravish him! It was especially bad because his mentor was sitting less than three feet away from them. What was wrong with her? Katara felt like kissing Aang had awakened something hungry and primal within her and now she couldn't tame it into submission again.

Of course, there were several reasonable explanations for why she might have lost her mind after one kiss. First of all, it was, technically, her first. There had been the one time in her father's smokehouse with one of Sokka's childhood friends, but that hadn't been an experience that Katara wanted to relive. It had been dark and filled with dry heat on the inside. The boy in question had been nervous and fidgety. Katara had been equally nervous. She had been twelve and a half at the time and anticipating her first kiss with a boy she had nursed a crush on since her tenth birthday. He had lunged towards her…and missed. In the end, he was left mortified and she had a cut on the fleshy part of her lip. It wasn't an experience that Katara was eager to repeat…until Aang.

That brought her around nicely to her second point… Not only was Aang good-looking, charming and extremely funny, he was also the Avatar! If any kiss was going to make a girl weak in the knees, certainly it would be his. Yet, even as Katara reasoned on that possibility, she knew that her attraction to Aang had nothing at all to do with his being the Avatar. It was Aang. He was everything she never knew she wanted. Becoming friends with him had been a ridiculously easy thing and she was continually surprised by how much they seemed to have in common.

Often, when her mother had been alive, she had heard Kya use the phrase "two sides to every coin" when describing her relationship with Hakoda. And that was it. Somehow, Aang was the other side to her coin. Even though they had only just met, he was a part of her and Katara knew somehow that he had always been. There was something both sweet and seductive between them…not at all unlike the kiss he had given her the night before, which had started off so tentatively but had quickly bloomed into something incredible.

And therein lay the crux of Katara's problem. How could she have such strong, undeniable feelings for a boy she just met? How could she be so alive with need and emotion after just one kiss? It made absolutely no sense at all and yet…no matter how much effort she expended, she couldn't get her mind off of that kiss.

Aang seemed to know exactly how to please her even when she hadn't been sure herself. Conversely, she had felt the same. She wasn't surprised when she lightly tugged at his lower lip and he shuddered because, somehow, she had instinctively known that he would enjoy it. How did she know that? And how did he know that stroking the low curve of her back would be so arousing for her or that she liked it best when he cupped the back of her head while he kissed her?

She couldn't even look at him now, not because she was ashamed or embarrassed but because every time she did, she had to force her gaze to remain level with his otherwise she would find herself staring at his mouth. And she couldn't afford that because if she looked at his mouth, she'd think about the kiss and if she thought about the kiss, well… She had already made a fool out of herself once, thinking he meant one thing when he meant something else entirely. Katara didn't want to give a repeat performance.

But that didn't stop her from obsessing over the fact that, while she couldn't seem to purge their aborted kiss from her mind, Aang was altogether unaffected. Truthfully, he didn't seem all that eager to kiss her again at all. Katara started second-guessing herself then. Until just that moment, she had been sure that Aang had enjoyed their kiss as much as she did, but what if she was wrong? What if she misread his signals? What if he never wanted to kiss her again as long as he lived? Katara frowned deeply, her anxiety level rising with each self-directed question.

"What are you thinking about?"

Startled by Aang's question, Katara lurched around and jerked an awkward glance towards Aang. "What? What did you say?"

"Did I do something to offend you?" he asked timidly, "You haven't said a word in five minutes…and you're glaring at me like you want to kick a hole in my chest."

Belatedly recognizing that her disquietude was easily readable on her face, Katara quickly adopted a more docile façade. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was frowning."

"Obviously," Aang teased her lightly, "What's on your mind?"

"I don't know if I should tell you…" she hedged.

Aang's stomach dipped a little. "Why not? Are you mad at me?"

"No!" Katara answered quickly, "It's just…" She threw a furtive glance at Gyatso to confirm that he was fully preoccupied with driving before she continued in a low, cautious tone, "I was thinking about last night…"

"What about it?" Aang whispered, though he had a good idea what she meant.

Katara was well aware of that too because she reached over and pinched his forearm. "You know what I mean!"

Aang responded with a laughing yelp before he abruptly sobered. "Yeah…I know what you mean…"

"So…" she prompted impatiently.

"So what?"

Her lashes fluttered lower. "I can't stop thinking about it, Aang."

Once more, his gut pitched and rolled with her words. He darted a glance at Gyatso before confessing, "Neither can I. In fact, I even dreamed about you last night. And this morning? It was all I could think about."

Katara leveled him with a luminous stare. "It was?"

His mouth turned up in a lopsided smile. "It's a little hard not to be distracted with you in that outfit. You…uh…you have nice legs…not that I've been staring at them or anything!"

She tried hard to bite back her pleased smile. "Oh. So, you think I have nice legs?"

"I think you have nice _everything_," Aang sighed in an unguarded moment before catching himself. "Er…what I meant was…you manage to look beautiful in everything you wear. It's really unfair when you think about it. Somehow, I doubt my jeans and t-shirt have quite the same effect on you."

Katara thought about the way his blue jeans hung so relaxed on his lean hips and hugged his body in all the right places. She cleared her throat. "You'd…uh…you'd be surprised."

The hoarse quality in her tone coaxed a pleased smile from Aang. She smiled back. For the moment, they forgot that they were in the backseat of an economy sized car, motoring towards the wide open plains of the Earth Kingdom. It was as if they were the only two people in the world. They scooted closer together, hardly bothered by the confines their seatbelts created as they regarded one another shyly.

"So…" Katara drawled in a whisper, "Now that we've established that _you've_ been thinking about it and _I've_ been thinking about it…why are we only _thinking_ about it?"

He flicked her lips with a brief glance. "That's a very good question, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

She regarded him with a sultry look from underneath the lush fan of her lashes. "I was hoping that it could happen again."

"So what's stopping you?"

Taken a bit off guard by his unreserved bluntness, Katara reared back a little and sputtered, "What…are you saying that I should make the first move?"

Unruffled by her balking reaction, Aang shrugged. "Why not? You're a liberated woman and all that. It's a new age. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to boldly take what you want when you want it."

Katara rolled her laughing gaze skyward. "You are so transparent. I wonder how many times you've used that speech to coax a girl into kissing you."

He gasped and pressed a single fist to his heart. "I'm wounded that you would have such a low opinion of me."

"Whatever."

"Just so you know, Miss Know-It-All, I've never tried to coax any girl into kissing me. You'd be the first."

She snapped a sharp glance to his face. "No, I'm not," she denied in breathless incredulity. Her heart wobbled a bit when she noticed how intently he was staring at her. "Aang, come on…I was _not_ your first kiss."

"Yeah, you were…if you don't count cheek kisses," he insisted, "I guess I've never met a girl I wanted to kiss before…not that there haven't been a few who tried to get me to change my mind."

His admission left her stunned and shaken and strangely filled with pride. Katara tried to cover the rising lump of emotion in her throat with a wry laugh. "Oh, I'm sure you had to beat the girls off with a stick, mighty Avatar."

He tossed her a jaunty grin. "Well, I am me, after all."

"And such a modest 'me' too," she teased.

His mirthful smile gradually dissipated. "I'm not joking though, Katara," he insisted. He lowered his tone an octave as he added, "You're the only girl I've met that I wanted to kiss. I pretty much made up my mind about it minutes after meeting you."

"That fast?"

"Well, I have to admit…the combination of those shoes and that narrow little skirt did things to me."

Katara grinned. "Don't hold your breath on seeing either ever again."

"That's okay. It won't change how I feel. I'd still want you to kiss me. In fact…" he went on, lowering his voice to a trembling whisper as he did so, "I wouldn't mind it if you kissed me right now."

Her cheeks flamed in reaction to his raw confession. She squealed his name before bouncing a furtive glance up at Gyatso. When she was certain they hadn't been overheard, she hissed, "I can't believe you just said that to me."

"It's true. I want you to kiss me."

"Aang…stop it," she protested weakly.

"What's the matter?" he cajoled, "Don't you want to kiss me, Katara?"

Her answer escaped her in a timid mumble. "You know I do. I'm the one who brought it up, remember?"

"Then you should go for it. If you're worried about Gyatso, he won't care. He's all into his slow jazz." He shifted around and leaned his head back against the car seat, his hands folded across his abdomen, his eyes closed as he patiently waited for her to make her move. "Go ahead," he invited, "I'm all yours." She slapped him in the face with the fringe of her scarf. Aang popped open one eye to regard her. "That's not quite what I had in mind."

"You're out of your mind! Gyatso is sitting _right there_," she emphasized in an under-breath, "He's going to see me. I'm not kissing you in the backseat of his car, Aang."

"But you'll kiss me when we're _out_ of it?"

She growled at him, but there was a definite gleam of intrigue in her eyes even as she scooted away from him with an exasperated huff. "I don't think we should be talking about this at all," she considered wisely.

"I don't think we should be _talking_ at all."

Katara hissed his name again. "Behave yourself! Aang, come on! This is insane! We…we just met each other. We can't allow ourselves to be led by our hormones. We are responsible, mature young adults. Surely, we should have more self-control than this."

Aang appraised her with a thoughtful, sideways glance. "You're right," he sighed, "You're absolutely right."

"We should show some restraint and discipline, don't you think?"

"Yes, we should. The monks would expect nothing less from me."

"Exactly! I'm a good girl and you're a good boy. Good girls and boys should be modest and reserved."

"Indeed so."

She thrust out her hand to him. "So we're agreed that we will conduct ourselves in a sensible and prudent manner from this point onward?"

Aang pumped her hand vigorously. "We are agreed."

Katara found herself mesmerized by the avid gleam in his eyes as he looked at her. "We're not going to make it, are we, Aang?"

"Not a chance," he murmured.

They managed to distract themselves with a game of twenty questions for the next hour, but when Gyatso finally pulled over to a roadside rest stop so that they could take a potty break and stretch their legs, all bets were off. Katara scuttled to the women's bathroom to splash some cold water on her face, hoping to regain control of her rioting hormones. She surveyed her reflection in the mirror.

Her cheeks were flushed pink, a state that was becoming quite the norm for her in Aang's presence. Her blue eyes were wide and luminous and sparking with anticipation and excitement. There was an insipid grin hanging on her lips that she couldn't seem to banish. She looked…_happy_. It wasn't an expression Katara was particularly used to seeing, especially after her mother's death. She could fully admit that she had forgotten how to smile since Kya died. But Aang…he was reminding her how to do it again.

She was still thinking about that amazing fact as she stood before the vending machines later and contemplated the plethora of tasty snacks and beverages before her. Making a choice was difficult. Her thoughts continued to linger on Aang. Artificial cheese curls were the furthest thing from her mind.

As she struggled to focus, Katara was barely aware of the fact that she was fiddling with the medallion that hung from her choker until Aang came to stand beside her and said, "It's a beautiful necklace."

Katara jumped in surprise. "Thank you," she murmured, "It was my mother's. My dad gave it to her when he asked her to marry him."

"Oh, that's a Water Tribe tradition, isn't it?"

"It's a _Northern_ Water Tribe tradition," Katara clarified, "This necklace first belonged to my grandmother Kanna. It was _her_ betrothal necklace. But then she passed it on to my dad and my dad gave it to my mother."

"So, it's a family heirloom?" Aang surmised softly, "It must mean a great deal to you."

"It does. I wear it all the time because it feels like I have my mother with me wherever I go." She tipped a tender smile up at Aang. "She would have liked you a lot, I think."

"Because I'm the Avatar?"

Katara shook her head. "Because you're _you_."

They stood together in companionable silence after that, close enough to touch but not touching at all. Yet, they were vibrantly aware of each other's presence the entire time. Their every nerve ending was alive and pulsing with anticipation for what would come next between them.

Finally, Aang broke the silence by clearing his throat and asking, "So…have you decided on a treat yet?"

"Hmm…I've narrowed it down to the coconut cake or the Nutty Nut bar."

"Excellent choices. No beverage?"

She tapped her chin in further consideration. "Still considering it. What do you think? Maybe Moon Peach?" she ventured. Aang shuddered. "Cherry-Fizz?"

He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Eh, it's okay…what about Papaya Explosion?" Katara's pretty features twisted in a revolted grimace. Aang chuckled. "Okay, papaya is out. I'll make a note of that. So what's it going to be?"

"The Nutty Nut bar and a moon peach soda," she decided. When he started to dig around in his pocket for money, Katara realized his intention. "Aang, no! You don't have to do that. I can pay for my own snacks."

"I know I don't _have_ to, Katara," he murmured with a soft, reassuring smile, "I want to. Besides…" he added as he slipped the coins into the slot, "…it's not like it's _my_ money I'm spending. I bummed a couple of bucks off of Gyatso. If you want to thank someone, thank him."

Katara gave him a playful shove. "You're terrible."

However, her tune changed when he finished making his purchases. She was, once again, overwhelmed with the desire to kiss him, but this time the gnawing fear that had accompanied the desire before was absent. Quickly, before she lost the courage to do so, Katara rose up onto her tiptoes and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth. Aang stiffened in surprised reaction at first but then relaxed when Katara began to nibble at him softly. It took all the willpower he had not to grab her and kiss her breathless. When she finally pulled back, both their hearts were pounding. They regarded one another with blushing smiles.

"I've wanted to do that all morning," Katara whispered with a nervous glance at him.

"Really?" Aang wondered, "Because I've wanted to do this…"

When he dipped his head to kiss her, Katara was ready for him. His mouth slanted across hers with slow, deliberate hunger. As the kiss deepened, they turned into one another, pressing as closely as they could despite the candy bar and bottled drink between them. They strained against one another, seeking more, moaning softly into each other's mouth. But it was with the first tentative touch of Aang's tongue to Katara's lips that the kiss truly exploded.

Without warning, a series of jumbled images opened up between them. A dozen scenes passed through their minds in mutual exchange, shifting and merging and all with one thing in common. The visions were of them and in every single one…they were kissing. It was nothing at all either of them recognized and yet what they saw felt like memories nonetheless. They didn't only see the intimate exchange between them, they felt it as well and those feelings only heightened the kiss they shared in reality. It was an odd and fleeting experience, but incredibly visceral as well. Aang and Katara reared apart suddenly, both panting in dazed confusion.

"Did you _see_ that?" Aang demanded with an anxious frown.

"Did you _feel_ that?" Katara countered with equal anxiety, "What was all of that, Aang? What did we just see?"

"I have no idea, Katara," he murmured, blinking at her as if truly seeing her for the first time, "I don't have a clue."


	6. Day Three, Part Two

**A/N: If you're wondering how/why I am posting so fast, I finished this. That's why.**

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**Day Three, Part Two**

Aang and Katara were understandably fidgety the remainder of the drive. They hesitated in even touching each other for fear that an accidental glance might set off another series of confusing flashes. Neither of them was eager for that to happen again given the fact they had yet to recover from the last one.

Not long after their abbreviated kiss, when they were still trembling with shock, Gyatso had come to find them. By all accounts oblivious to their distress, he had jovially informed them both that it was time to leave. His eagerness to resume their road trip didn't leave Aang and Katara with a lot of time to discuss what had happened between them…not that they would have known what to say had they had the opportunity. Instead, they had merely shuffled back to the car together in a speechless haze. That had been ten minutes prior and neither of them had spoken a word about it since.

Yet, the fact that they weren't talking about it meant very little. They were most certainly thinking about it. In truth, that was the only thing either of them could think about. How could they not? They had shared a kiss, a wonderfully explosive kiss…and it was almost like their world had shifted with it. They sat rigidly alongside one another, locked in tense silence and emotionally isolated from the other by their wildly rambling thoughts.

Aang's first inclination was to shrug the whole thing off. Yes, it had been strange. Yes, the brief experience had shaken him to his core. Yes, he was _still_ obsessing about it. _But_…in retrospect, was it really so earth-shattering, he reasoned to himself. Seeing himself transition from a child into an adult and locked in numerous kisses of varying degrees of passion with Katara had been a head trip. Not only had he _seen_ the visions, but he had experienced the emotions from each blinking frame as well. Though the emotions had been ridiculously brief at the time, they had also been equally potent.

Still, there had to be a logical explanation for what he had seen. When Aang thought about it, he could readily admit that he had been more than a little keyed up over the prospect of kissing Katara again. His heart had been racing. His palms had been clammy. He had even felt a bit light-headed. It was possible that his emotions had been heightened enough to manifest themselves in the freaky vision he had seen. Of course, that didn't entirely explain why or how Katara had seen the same thing. Then again, perhaps that needed no explanation. He _was_ the Avatar after all. Since learning his identity three months prior, and even _before_ that, Aang's life had been slowly degenerating into one weird, spiritual event after another. He had long since acclimated himself to spirit shenanigans. In hindsight, what was one more?

But just as Aang was talking himself down from the whole thing, Katara was becoming more anxious than ever. Unlike Aang, she subscribed to a different theory altogether. Unlike Aang, this wasn't her first experience with the strange…_flashbacks_. Katara wasn't entirely sure what to call them, but she knew that was what they felt like. Once before, when she had pressed a quick kiss on Aang's cheek she'd felt a similar sensation. Suddenly her mind was filled with a plethora of other times when she had innocently…and not so innocently…kissed his cheek. Katara recalled feeling stunned in the aftermath.

They were like memories, only impossible ones because they pictured events that had never happened to her, events that were, in fact, thoroughly foreign to her. She would almost put them on par with her "man on a floating island" dream and she had been having that one for years! One time might have been a fluke, Katara thought to herself, but two times? That wasn't a fluke at all! Something odd and unexplainable was happening between her and Aang. Katara was no longer in denial about that. Yet, finding a delicate way to approach that fact without sounding like a complete lunatic thoroughly eluded her.

She chanced a careful glance over at Aang. Currently, he was staring out the window at the passing countryside and smiling to himself. He didn't seem the least bit stressed out about the situation and, his lack of concern made Katara even more reluctant to make an issue out of it. Maybe it wasn't a big deal. Maybe it was simply one of those things that came with kissing the Avatar. Rather than push the issue then, Katara decided to play it by ear and cautiously follow Aang's lead instead.

Inevitably then, they both took the path of least resistance. They simply didn't talk about it. They played car games to pass the time, told each other embarrassing childhood stories, exchanged edifying bits of knowledge about their respective cultures and even napped a bit. However, throughout all of that, they scrupulously avoided the subject of their earlier kiss and they didn't reference the strange flashes at all. By the time they finally reached Aang's parents' farm just before the noon hour, both Aang and Katara were considerably more relaxed, if not actively avoiding the inexplicable connection between them. Then again, discussing the matter inevitably took a backseat as Gyatso pulled along the dirt road that would eventually take them to the main house.

"This is it," Aang announced with a nostalgic smile, "Home sweet home."

Without thinking about it, Katara made a reflexive grab for his fingers. "Suddenly, I feel very nervous."

Aang blinked at her in surprise. "Why are you nervous? My parents are going to adore you. Don't you know that?"

Katara arched a single eyebrow in unconcealed skepticism. "Adore me?" she scoffed, "A girl you just met three days ago? Somehow, I doubt that, Aang."

"Has it only been three days?" he whispered, "It feels like a lot longer than that. I feel like we've known each other a lifetime, Katara."

Her heart fluttered in her throat. "Me too," she whispered back.

The car rumbled to a stop then, preventing them from saying anything further. Katara took in a shuddering breath, prompting Aang to give her slender fingers an encouraging squeeze. He smiled at her. "You ready?"

She jerked a nod. "I think my imagination is the worst part."

"Don't worry, Katara," Gyatso said, "Tenzin and Lasya are the most welcoming people you'll ever meet."

"Just know that if my mom tries to give you a basket filled with fruits and vegetables, it means she likes you," Aang warned her as they climbed from the car.

Katara was still choking over that when they stepped onto the sun-bleached, wooden porch and Gyatso knocked on the door. Nervous and cautious, Katara respectfully hung back when Aang's parents' threw open their front door and enthusiastically greeted their only child and their oldest friend. In an instant, the air exploded with laughter and tears as the family exchanged hugs and kisses.

While they were preoccupied with peppering their son's face with kisses, Katara took a moment to study Tenzin and Lasya, thoroughly curious about the two people who had produced a son as amazing as Aang. He was a striking combination of them both physically though Tenzin and Lasya seemed to be wildly opposite. Aang's father was dressed in the traditional robes of an Air Nomad monk. His tattooed head was cleanly shaven, his amiably handsome features partially concealed behind a long, dark beard. His mother, on the other hand, was dressed in garb that Katara would liken to a hippie. Her long, wavy hair was threaded through with braids and glossy beads. She, like her husband, wore her arrow proudly but, like her son, the tip was only visible beneath her hairline.

In addition to that, Lasya was a slender woman with a very diminutive stature and delicate bone structure. She looked as if a strong gust of wind could blow her over. But, according to Aang, no one commanded the element better than his mother. She was a very powerful bender, having received her own tattoos when she was only fourteen years old. Until Aang had been born, she had been the youngest master in the recorded history of their nation.

Tenzin, in contrast, was tall and lean with finely muscled limbs that somehow didn't appear gangly in one of such impressive height. He also was a formidable bender, but it wasn't something he sought to advertise. He was a very humble, if not serious and dedicated man. Aang had clearly inherited his father's body type and humility, but his free, laughing spirit and unreserved smile…those had come exclusively from his mother.

Lasya was in the middle of giving a protesting Aang yet another hug when she finally caught sight of Katara standing just beyond him. Her wide, gray eyes brightened with interest. "Well, hello there," she greeted with a ready smile, "And who do we have here?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you for the last five minutes, Mom," Aang sighed in mild exasperation, "I didn't come alone today. I brought a friend. This is Katara. She's…uh…she's very special to me."

Despite her son's very careful wording, Lasya's mouth curved up in a knowing smile. "Did you hear that, Tenzin?" she asked her husband, though her smile never wavered from Katara, "Your son has a _special_ friend. What do you think about that?"

"Oh, Mother…" Aang groaned under his breath.

Tenzin grunted, not as giddy over the prospect as his wife. He shot Aang a stern look. "And how is it that you've had the time to make friends, Aang?" he asked softly, "You should be focused on your training, son. This is a very serious time for you and the world. We have discussed this again and again."

"I know, Dad."

"I didn't raise you to be irresponsible," Tenzin chided him.

"Please don't chastise him, Tenzin," Gyatso interrupted gently, "You know how diligent Aang is about his training, _but_ he needs this time. He shouldn't lose his childhood."

"I'm not shirking my duties, Dad," Aang vowed, "I promise. I will live up to my potential as Avatar."

"I know you're a good boy," Tenzin sighed, "I just worry for you, Aang. This will be a difficult transition. I don't want you to make it harder for yourself by alienating the monks. You have to be more obedient."

"Yes, sir."

Lasya tugged on her husband's sleeve. "Gentlemen, can we please take this conversation inside the house?" she suggested with a sympathetic glance at a shivering Katara, "Our poor guest is freezing!"

"My apologies, Katara," Tenzin murmured contritely. He politely gestured towards the door and ushered her forward. "Please, come inside so that Lasya and I might get to know you better."

Once they were warmly ensconced in the family room, Tenzin and Lasya introduced themselves to Katara properly and then fell into an immediate quizzing on where she and Aang had met. They weren't suspicious or unduly judgmental with their questions but instead seemed genuinely interested in learning the details of her friendship with Aang. Every so often, they would glance over at their son and note the faint blush on his cheeks and an indiscernible expression would flitter across both their faces. It was an odd combination of affection…and sadness.

Katara quickly noted that while they were very protective of Aang, particularly Tenzin, they also very clearly admired their son and adored him a great deal. The feeling was wholly mutual too. Even when he didn't agree with his parents' assessment of his choices and actions, Aang always listened respectfully while they spoke to him. He made his argument when the time came for him to speak but he was never impertinent when he did so. Basically, he was quiet and thoughtful and the epitome of a dutiful son.

Her grandmother Kanna had often told her that she could always learn how well a man would treat her by the way he treated his family. Thus far, Katara had discovered nothing but truth in that wise proverb. Aang was probably one of the most even-tempered individuals she had ever met. He made no attempt to silence his parents as they regaled her with one embarrassing childhood story after another. He grunted and grumbled and shielded his face in apparent shame but every so often Katara would catch a glimpse of the merry gleam in his eyes and she knew that he was happy. No wonder he spoke of the time he spent with his parents so fondly. She ached to realize that moment would be the last he would share with them for years to come.

After they were done acquainting themselves, Lasya excused herself to the kitchen so that she could begin serving the lunch she had prepared. She was surprised when, rather than bringing her family and guests their meals as she had intended, the four ended up being her undesignated helpers in the kitchen instead. Consequently, they ended up enjoying the majority of their meal in the kitchen rather than the formal dining room. The lunch was simple and consisted of a light fruit salad and plain, white rice but it felt like a feast to Katara, not because she was starving but because the atmosphere between Aang and his family was so very lively.

Conversation never abated. Laughter flowed freely and continually. Love punctuated every word that was spoken. For Katara, it felt like being home again in the South Pole surrounded by her own family. She sat there with Aang, Gyatso, Tenzin and Lasya and she felt like she was home. She felt like she belonged.

When they had finished with their meal, Aang offered to clean up the kitchen while Gyatso, Tenzin and Lasya retired to the family room for tea and conversation. Katara offered to stay behind and assist him, imagining that Tenzin and Lasya would want some private time to catch up with Gyatso. She helped Aang put away the leftover food and, once they were finished with that, split the dishwashing duties. It was decided that she would wash while he would rinse and dry. Having had experience with her brother washing dishes, Katara didn't expect for things to run smoothly but she was pleasantly surprised by how efficiently she and Aang worked together. She soon learned that he had plenty of experience in that area.

Katara passed him a freshly scrubbed plate. "So…no dishwasher, huh?"

"Nah," Aang replied as he rinsed away the clinging suds and blasted the dish dry, "My mom's old school. She always said she didn't see the point of having a dishwasher when she had me. I spent all of middle school with very pruney hands."

"Aww…poor you."

Aang shrugged. "Eh, I didn't mind it that much. My mom and I usually did it together so it gave us a lot of time to talk. I liked that. Besides, I'm a dishwashing master now."

Katara nudged him with her hip. "There's that modesty again," she teased.

"I prefer to think of it as being honest and having a healthy self-confidence."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You really are full of it." They shared a soft exchange of laughter before Katara abruptly fell silent. Her brows drew together in a pensive frown. "I like your parents a lot, Aang," she said, "They've made me feel very welcome."

"I told you so."

Katara nibbled her lower lip. "But…well…should I be worried because your mother hasn't offered me fruit yet?" she blurted, "You said that if she liked me, she would do that and so far she hasn't. Is that a bad thing?"

Aang laughed out loud. "Wow, you're really cute when you're flustered," he teased, "Give her time. Trust me, Katara. She likes you."

"How can you tell? She seems like a naturally gracious person."

"She _is_ gracious, but she's also not shy about voicing her opinion," he said, "If she had a problem with you, she would have made it known by now. And, if she didn't, my father certainly would. You saw him. He didn't blink twice about scolding me in front of you."

"Don't feel bad about that. I could tell he was coming from a place of love. He wasn't trying to embarrass you, Aang."

"I know that," he sighed, "But he and I can be polar opposites sometimes. I don't see the world the way he sees it."

"And how's that?"

He smiled down at her. "As one incredible adventure after another."

Katara swiftly averted her eyes, feeling them well up with his candor. "Is that how you see me?" she wondered hoarsely, "As an adventure?"

Aang gently cupped her cheek and brought her gaze back to his. "I think you're the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, Katara." He stroked his thumb delicately over the ridge of her cheekbone. "Please don't be nervous anymore. My parents love you." He refrained from adding, "Just like I do," but somehow that avowal remained unspoken between them nonetheless.

Both a bit stunned by the heavy implication of it all, Aang quickly dropped his hand and he and Katara resumed their task of washing dishes. However, the entire time, each was acutely aware of the other. In a desperate attempt to restore the lighthearted atmosphere between them, Katara instigated a subject change.

"So…exactly how long have your parents been together?"

"Twenty years."

Katara blinked in amazement. "Wow. That's a long time."

"Yeah, well…they're in love."

"It shows," she murmured with a soft smile, "They seem like they complement one another really well."

"They do," Aang agreed, "I don't think they know how to be apart. That's the reason they chose to leave the temples in the first place."

"That must have been really hard for them."

"It was. My mother was raised at the Western Air Temple. That was all she knew. And my father…he imagined that he would one day be appointed as one of the Southern Air Temple's elder monks."

"And then they met each other and that all changed," Katara concluded with a growing smile.

"Yeah, it changed. At first, they tried to maintain a long distance relationship, but eventually they found it too difficult and they left the temples to be together. My parents still respect the teachings of our people very much. They love that life, but living it wasn't worth being separated from each other."

"You sound like you agree," she noted softly.

He regarded her with a solemn look, his entire heart reflected in the gray depths of his eyes. "That's because I do."

Katara cleared her throat and resumed washing dishes once more, her knees trembling with the intense feelings he stirred within her. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a real smooth talker, Aang?" she joked lightly.

"You'd be the first."

She flicked a handful of bubble foam at him. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"I wouldn't do be so willy nilly with the bubble throwing if I were you," he warned her in a laughing tone.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Katara scooped up another foamy pile and, with a very deliberate smile, blew it at him. "And what are you going to do about it, tough guy?"

Aang snapped back, holding the rinse nozzle aloft in menacing threat. Sudsy bubbles dangled adorably from the tip of his nose and rested in fluffy bundles atop his head as well. Katara couldn't help but giggle at the picture he presented, not at all threatened by his defensive poise.

"Don't do something you'll regret, Aang."

He applied just the barest hint of pressure to the trigger. "Who says I'll regret it?" he challenged archly.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Aang raised a single brow. "Wouldn't I?"

"You want to think about this very carefully, Avatar Aang," Katara told him even as she began to back up several steps, "I'm a waterbender. You may be the Avatar, but as of yet…you have no skills. This won't end well for you. You don't want to go there."

The corner of his mouth turned up in a crooked smile. "Actually…I think I do."

It was a calculated risk on his part and one that proved not to be his favor. The instant Aang squeezed the trigger, Katara thrust out her hand to block the spray. The sprinkling cascade of water Aang had meant for her was quickly turned back on him in a spilling halo. Within seconds, he was soaked through. He yelped as the cold water doused him, leaving him drenched and shivering. Katara clamped both hands over her mouth in order to stifle the uncontrollable giggles that bubbled from between her lips.

"I…I tried to…warn you…!" she chortled merrily, "Oh, you should have seen your face!"

Aang walked over to the sink and calmly wrung the water from the hem of his t-shirt. "You're pretty pleased with yourself right now, aren't you?"

"Wow, you're pretty adorable when you pout," Katara said, turning his earlier words to her back on him. He responded to that by pouting further, a fact that made her laugh harder. "Oh, stop looking at me like that," she sighed good-naturedly, gamely bending the water from his clothing. "See?" she said as she sloshed the water into the sink, "Good as n—,"

The remainder of her statement was abruptly smothered by his lips. One minute, he was standing near the sink looking as if she had kicked his polar bear puppy and the next he was yanking her close and kissing her. They both tensed in anticipation, awaiting the sudden onslaught of images with some measure of dread. When they didn't come, however, Aang and Katara relaxed into one another. They skimmed their hands over one another in tentative caresses, their tongues stroking with indolent hunger as the kiss deepened.

Aang gradually pressed Katara back into the sink, fitting instinctively into the space she made for him. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed against his body in unconscious need. She smoothed her hands down the slope of his back, her fingers coming to rest in the small indentation just above his buttocks. He groaned into her mouth, his need for her growing, his body stirring with arousal. The instant his erection began to crest, Aang reared back from Katara with a soundless gasp.

She blinked up at him in dazed confusion. "What? Why did you stop?"

"I want to show you my bison!" Aang blurted.

Katara fixed him with a narrowed look. "That had better not be a euphemism for something else."

Aang expelled a nervous laugh that was quickly followed by a hot blush. "No…uh…I meant my actual bison," he stammered in clarification, "I thought you wanted to meet him."

"I…I do." She peered at him dubiously. "But you don't want to do that now, do you? Don't you want to finish what we were doing?" Katara didn't wait for his answer, but started to rise up on her toes to kiss him again. Aang, however, dodged her efforts and shrugged out from her arms altogether. She surveyed him with a hurt frown. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's not wrong," he replied, "That's the problem. It's _right_. It's too right."

Katara's wounded feelings promptly gave way to bewilderment. "Is that supposed to make sense to me?"

"I like kissing you, Katara," Aang explained, "The problem is…I'm not so sure that I can stop with kissing."

Blue eyes flared wide with chagrined innocence. "Oh."

"I want you," he confessed in a breathless whisper, "A lot."

She drifted forward a step. He did as well. "I want you too," she whispered back.

"That's why I need to show you my bison," Aang insisted, "If I stay in this kitchen with you, all of my self-control is going to go right out the window."

Katara offered him an impish smile. "And that would be a bad thing?"

"Yes, it would be a bad thing. I'm supposed to leave in a few days, Katara," he reasoned, "You and I only just met. That's not fair to you."

Unavoidably reminded of their unhappy situation, Katara had little choice but to concede Aang's point. They had only known each other a short while and, very soon, they would be going their separate ways. Would it really be a good idea for them to give full rein to their raging hormones? Aang was being prudent, something _she_ had encouraged him to be in the first place. Besides, she should be grateful that at least _one_ of them was being levelheaded about the whole thing, Katara thought.

Both frustrated and impressed by his sense of nobility, Katara acquiesced and thrust out her hand for him to take it. "Very well. Lead the way, mighty Avatar."

Once they were bundled up in preparation for the falling temperatures outside, Aang and Katara made their way into the family room to alert Aang's parents of their intentions. On their way out to the stable, Aang tried to prepare Katara for Appa's massive size so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed when she saw him. Katara took his caution in stride, rather casual about the whole business until she stepped into the stable and actually saw his pet with her own eyes. She was greeted by possibly the largest animal she had ever seen in her life. Aang grinned at her dumbfounded expression as he strode over to greet Appa with a loving nuzzle.

"Katara, I'd like you to meet my sky bison. This is…"

"…Appa," she finished breathlessly, stumbling forward on shaking legs to greet the shaggy beast. "I know. His name is Appa." She buried her face in his fur, cooing to him as if they were the oldest and dearest of friends. Though she had literally just met the animal, Katara felt like she hadn't seen him in years.

Aang went utterly still. "How…how did you know that? Did I tell you already?"

Katara floated a gentle caress over Appa's snout before lifting her confused gaze to his and shaking her head. "No, you didn't tell me," she answered quietly. "I just knew. Just like I know that he loves moon peaches and that he hates being underground and that he sleeps better when you're tucked against his flank."

He shivered with every knowledgeable word. "Katara…how are you doing this? What's going on?"

"I don't know!" she cried hysterically, "I don't know how I know these things, I just do! You're the Avatar! You tell _me_ what's happening!"

"How should I know?" he retorted in a defensive tone, "You're the one with all the answers! I'm lost right now!"

"Great," Katara muttered, "As if my life weren't weird enough. First with the weird dreams and now with these odd premonitions! What's next? I'll start glowing and levitating?"

For a second time in a five minute span, Aang found himself too stunned to breathe. "Wait a minute…" he said slowly, "Did you say that you have dreams? What kind of dreams?"

"Why do you ask?" Katara wondered warily.

"Because I have strange dreams too…from the time I was twelve years old," he whispered, "Remember when I told you that I always felt different from everyone else? That's why. I've seen strange things in my dreams for years now."

Katara relaxed in gradual stages. "Things like what?"

Aang favored her with a faint smile. "I asked you first."

"Well, for starters, I dreamed about your bison," Katara confessed finally, "I didn't put it together until I saw him just now. The night before my interview…the night before we met, I had a nightmare that I was riding a sky bison and we were trapped in a violent storm. I know now that bison was Appa. I lost control of him and we both plunged into the sea and…we died."

When she was done speaking, Aang looked as if he might topple over. He actually groped for Appa's flank and leaned into it heavily in order to brace himself. "You're not going to believe this, but…" he began in an almost incredulous tone, "…the night before I met you, I had the same dream…only I was an old man and I was already dying. I was thrown from Appa's saddle as he tried to regain control in the storm and then there was nothing. I suppose I died too," Aang concluded in morbid consideration.

"Did you see me in your dream?" Katara asked anxiously.

He shook his head. "Did you see me?"

Katara's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I didn't," she confessed, "Still, it has to mean something that we had the same exact dream literally the day before we met."

"I think so too," Aang murmured. He regarded Katara pensively for a moment before he said, "You mentioned earlier that dream was just the start. Have you had other dreams, Katara?"

"It's nothing really special," she replied with a shrug, "Since I turned fourteen, I've been having a recurring dream about a solitary man, an airbender. He looks to be in his mid-thirties, but I can't be sure because his face is partially shadowed. I know that he's bearded and he's dressed in the ceremonial robes of an Air Nomad but not like any robes I've ever seen before. It seems like he's in the middle of a forest and…he's meditating on an island that seems to be moving."

Color rapidly drained from Aang's features with her revelation. "This man in your dreams…does he happen to be glowing, Katara?" he asked her almost fearfully.

"Yeah, he does," she confirmed in a short gasp, "How did you know that?"

Aang sank down into a nearby pile of hay, his knees too weak to support him any longer. "Because that man is _me_," he whispered, "I've had that same dream since before I received my airbending tattoos. The glow that you see is the avatar spirit. It's all the combined force of all my past lives focusing their energy through my body. The monks told me that dream was the first sign I had that I was the Avatar." He raised haunted eyes to her face. "I have no idea why you would see it too."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure."

Katara stumbled forward a few steps and dropped down next to him. "Aang…what's happening between us?"

"I don't know," he sighed, "I don't understand any of this." When he finally found the will to look at her again, his eyes were dark with shame and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Katara. I never meant to bring so much chaos into your life."

"You didn't."

Aang responded with a bittersweet smile. "We both know that's not true. I've complicated things for you. You practically said so a few minutes ago."

"I wasn't talking about you. My life was already complicated long before I met you, Aang," Katara murmured, "It's only since you've become a part of it that everything has started to make sense."

"How do you mean?"

"For years I believed I was having some random dream about some random airbender that I would probably never understand," she explained softly, "…but I was wrong. I've been dreaming about you this entire time. We really _were_ destined to meet each other."

"Katara, I don't—,"

She sealed her mouth to his in a fervent kiss, cutting off the remainder of his protest. When she was sure she had sufficiently stolen his breath, Katara pulled away and favored him with a gentle smile. "Do you have any idea how happy you've made me?"

"Because I've brought all kinds of weirdness into your life?" Aang wondered dubiously.

"Because you filled in all the missing pieces," she whispered, "Now I know it means something. I'm not just some freak who has crazy dreams."

Aang gave a wry shake of his head. "Has anyone ever told you that you are a very odd girl?"

"That works out then," Katara replied glibly, "Because I happen to be falling for a very odd boy."

Although he waged a mighty battle to keep from grinning, Aang lost the fight. "You're falling for me?" he asked in a wonder-filled tone.

Katara pressed her hand to his cheek. "It would probably be a lot less confusing if I showed you…"

This time when she kissed him Aang was ready for her and eager to respond. He sighed against her lips, nipping at them tenderly before slowly parting them with the tip of his tongue. Katara moaned aloud at the first warm strokes and then eagerly mimicked his languid caresses, touching her tongue to his again and again. They shifted closer, needing to eliminate all space between them, but the bulk of their winter jackets prevented them from attaining the intimacy they wanted.

Soon the rising heat in their bodies rendered them impervious to the frigid temperature within the barn, prompting them to shed their outer layers. Every precaution that Aang had raised while they were in the kitchen became moot. Now that he was kissing her, there was no way he could stop. Aang and Katara broke their kiss just long enough for him to hastily shrug out of his own jacket. Even that brief break in contact was too much for Aang and, seconds after flinging his coat away, he was pulling Katara back into his arms.

They kissed again, fumbling and trembling and panting with pulsing desire. Aang wedged his trembling hands between their straining bodies, his slender fingers graceless and clumsy as he unfastened Katara's coat. They both groaned aloud when he finally pushed the heavy wool from her shoulders and they could press against one another fully, with nothing between them except the ribbed cotton of her shirt, her satin bra beneath it and his thin t-shirt. They rose on their knees together in the hay, kissing wildly, their lips meandering across cheeks and ears and throats before coming together again in a burst of ravenous need.

Aang strummed his fingertips along Katara's collarbone, tracing the ridge of bone before slipping lower and sliding inexorably over the soft swell of her breast. The instant he touched her, Katara gasped sharply. Aang immediately yanked his hand away and reared back to regard her with a contrite expression.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay," she said. But her inability to meet his eyes directly made Aang wonder if she meant it.

"I shocked you," he surmised gruffly.

"Yes," she confirmed in a whisper. But then she shocked _him_ by sweeping up his hand and placing it right back against her breast. "That doesn't mean I want you to stop."

Aang palmed the underside of her breast, caressing it lightly as he started to lower his head to kiss her again. Just before his lips made contact with hers, however, the sound of his name being called in the distance penetrated his lust addled senses. His eyes collided with Katara's in a wide-eyed stare of pure panic. "Monkey feathers! That's Gyatso!"

Realizing that they were only seconds away from being discovered, Aang and Katara quickly scrambled away from one another in a mad dash to retrieve their discarded coats and regain their composure. Gyatso entered the stable just as they finished wiggling back into their jackets. He took one look at the hay clinging to their knees, their wildly disheveled hair, flushed faces and glassy eyes and knew exactly what had gone on between them.

"Aang, we're going to be leaving in a little while," he said, "Your mother has a basket for Katara and then she and your father want to have a little time with you both. You should take this opportunity to spend a few hours with them since it will be some months before you see them again."

"Sure," Aang agreed, barely able to make eye contact with Gyatso, "Katara and I were just about to head back to the house." Behind them, Appa emitted a low growl, as if he was calling Aang out on his lie. Aang shot his beloved pet a quelling glare before turning back to regard Gyatso with as much innocence as he could muster. "We should probably get back there then," he said, reaching out to grab Katara's hand in a thoughtless gesture. Aang was eager to get out of there before his mentor could launch into the lecture he knew Gyatso was itching to give. "We'll see you inside."

As the older airbender watched Katara and Aang skip off towards the house hand in hand, he turned to regard Appa with a doleful sigh. "He sure picked an inopportune time to fall in love, didn't he, Appa?" The sky bison emitted a mournful bellow of commiseration, clearly lamenting the heartbreak his master would inevitably face when the time came to tell Katara goodbye. "Yes," Gyatso averred sadly, "I was thinking the same thing."


	7. Day Four, Part One

**A/N: Okay, so you remember how I rated this story M and, thus far, there's been no real M activity? Yeah, that's about to change. If you want to avoid that, turn back now. Oh, and don't read this at work. Spare me and spare yourself.**

* * *

**Day Four, Part One**

"Oh, wow…you shaved your head!"

Aang resisted the self-conscious impulse to smooth his hand over the crown of his head. He had spent the entire morning nervously anticipating her reaction. He was so nervous, in fact, that he didn't immediately react to the fact that Katara had answered the door with her face covered in greenish-gray goop. Although he had been preparing her for the inevitable loss of his hair since the first day they met, Aang suspected that it would still be a shock for her to see him completely bald. He waited with bated breath for her to respond.

A slow, gradual smile began to spread across Katara's masked features and she lifted her hand to skate her fingers across the prickly surface of his scalp. He shivered at her light touch, surprised by how much he enjoyed the feel of her hand against his cleanly shaven head. It was difficult to maintain his composure as she inspected him, especially when she said her next words.

"I like it," Katara decided in a pensive murmur, stepping back, "Somehow it seems very familiar."

"Oh yeah?" Aang replied with a small sigh of relief and disappointment.

Katara's blue eyes twinkled. "Yeah."

"I know what you mean," he whispered, reaching out to finger the still wet mud mask coating her face, "This seems oddly familiar too."

Just then, Katara remembered that she had failed to wash the seaweed mask off of her cheeks and forehead. She groaned aloud. "Oh, please no…" She had been so preoccupied by Aang's hairless state that she'd momentarily forgotten that she looked a complete fright. With a yelp of dismay, she slammed the door in Aang's face and made a frantic dash to the bathroom to get herself together.

Out in the hallway, Aang scratched his eyebrow and tried not to laugh over the utter ridiculousness of his situation. He rapped softly on the door. "Katara, it's okay. Don't be embarrassed," he reassured her, "Come on. Open the door. I think you look beautiful no matter what."

He heard her faint response come from somewhere within the apartment. "Stay right there! I'll be two minutes!"

Aang gamely waited out in the hallway, smiling and nodding to the neighbors who occasionally passed him while trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Finally, Katara yanked open the door with a breathless smile. She was still barefoot and clad in the nightshirt and shorts that she'd been wearing earlier and her hair was still coiled in a tight braid, but now her skin was glowing, polished and freshly scrubbed. She wasn't wearing a speck of makeup, but she didn't need it. Aang thought she was the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen.

"You know you didn't have to do that," he told her as she stepped aside to let him pass, "I think you look beautiful in whatever, even that hideous green stuff."

Katara fluttered her hand dismissively. "Let us not speak of the mask."

Swallowing back his chuckle, Aang tugged her into his arms and lowered his head to give her a very sweet and very thorough kiss good morning. His plan was temporarily thwarted when Momo jumped between them in a bid for attention. Aang laughed uproariously at the little rabbit-lemur's antics while Katara shooed him away. He managed to sneak in a quick pat on Momo's head before the animal scampered away.

"Crazy monkey," Katara muttered in an under-breath.

"He's harmless," Aang replied, a slow smile spreading across his face. "But we were in the middle of something a minute ago. What was it?"

"I believe you were telling me hello," Katara reminded him, already tipping back her head for his kiss.

Aang didn't disappoint her. "Hello," he whispered when they surfaced for air.

"Hello," she whispered back with a wide, infatuated smile, "What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to meet you at the dojo around ten o'clock."

"You were. But I decided to surprise you instead. I took the subway over." He darted a cautious glance down the hall. "I didn't wake Sokka and Suki, did I?"

"They're not here," Katara said, "After I came in, I found a note from Sokka saying he had taken Suki out for an evening of pampering and that they wouldn't be back until later this afternoon."

"I didn't know you were here alone last night. I would have stayed a few minutes more."

"Aang, I was fine. You walked me to my door. That was enough. Besides, if you had come in, who knows how long poor Gyatso would have been sitting outside in the car?"

Now that they had begun kissing each other, Aang and Katara were having a difficult time stopping. And it wasn't only kissing. They found that they couldn't get enough of touching each other either. The longer they were together, the more they knew that they didn't want to be apart. Even though the day was coming when they would have to part, both teens staunchly ignored the looming date and, instead, focused completely on savoring the limited time that they had left.

Katara wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed another smiling kiss to his mouth. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered, "But what would you have done if I'd decided to come early today, hmm? You would have missed me completely."

"Why do you think _I_ came so early?" he teased, "I figured you'd give yourself at least an hour and a half so you could get lost around the city."

"Are you trying to say that I have a poor sense of direction?"

A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I don't know if I'm saying that so much as I'm thinking that for your next birthday, a GPS would be an awesome gift."

Katara slapped his shoulder in mock affront, but ruined her indignant façade by smiling. "Have you eaten yet? I could make you some breakfast."

"You really don't have to do that."

"I want to do it. Besides, I'm hungry too."

The low growl of his stomach made it difficult for him to resist her offer. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Just keep Momo occupied," she told him, "That's all the help I need."

Per her instructions, Aang settled himself in the living room and set his attention towards keeping the hyper, little lemur occupied. He rolled Momo's favorite toy on a bundle of air, watching with an amused smile as the lemur tried again and again to retrieve the toy and subdue its bouncing. While he and Momo played together, Aang noticed Katara's open laptop on the coffee table and, in passing glance, noticed the topic she had typed into her search engine. He turned a surprised glance at her over his shoulder.

"You're researching my past lives?" he asked her, "Why?"

"Because obviously there's some connection between us," Katara explained as she cooked, "and I was wondering if that was the place to start."

Forgetting his game with Momo for the moment, Aang twisted around on the sofa so that he could face her. "What did you find out?"

"Well, there's a website that lists every, single past Avatar almost from the world's inception," she told him. She paused and braced her hands against the kitchen island as she regarded him dourly. "You've had a lot of past lives, Aang. _A lot_. It took me nearly two hours to scroll through them all."

His mouth twitched with a glimmering smile. "Did you learn anything significant?"

"I don't know if it was so much significant as it was weird," Katara considered, "There was another Avatar Aang listed in the database and guess what?"

"He was an airbender too?" Aang concluded with a marked lack of surprise, "With a name like Aang, how shocking."

Katara stuck her tongue out at him. "For your information, not only was he an airbender, he was married…to a woman named _Katara_."

_That_ bit of information got his attention. "Are you serious?" he breathed.

"I've tried looking up some more information about them, but there isn't much detailed information out there," Katara said, "I don't even know what nationality Katara was, but…she _had_ to be Water Tribe. Katara is a very traditional name among my people."

"I don't know, Katara…what are the odds?"

"Pretty good, I think, considering the things we've seen." She stepped around the island and moved to sit down beside him on the couch. "I think it's them, Aang," she whispered fiercely, "The people who we've been seeing in our visions when we kiss…the people who look like us… I think it's them."

"But they look like us. Wouldn't that make them _us_?" Aang wondered.

"I don't know all the details about rebirth and reincarnation. You're the one with all the past lives. You tell me how it works."

"Well, my past lives _do_ live inside of me. I suppose I could ask…" he considered. "But the monks haven't yet taught me how to access my past lives yet or control the avatar state. That will come with my training. So, I probably won't be able to ask this Avatar Aang any details about his life for another few months or so."

"Right…" Katara mumbled with a crestfallen sigh, "Your training."

He reached over to brush his knuckles along the underside of his jaw. "Katara, we both knew that I was going to have to leave eventually, right?"

"Yeah, I know," she said thickly, "I just…I don't know what's going to happen to us when you do."

"We're going to be together," Aang replied without hesitation, only to add in sheepish addendum, "If you want to be, that is."

"How are we supposed to make it work when I'm here in school and you're on the other side of the world?"

"They do make cell phones, you know," he teased her, "And then there's always email and Skype. Surely, they have WiFi in the North Pole."

"I thought you told me that the monks said that you would have to leave behind all your earthly belongings," Katara reminded him, "So that means no cell phone, no laptop, no Nook, no Ipad…"

"…no Ipod," Aang finished grimly, "Thanks, Katara. You're really killing my buzz."

"Sorry," she giggled.

"Well, even if I don't have any of that, I still have these." Aang wiggled his ten fingers for emphasis. "As long as I do, I can write to you. No one will stop me from doing that."

"Aang, you're talking about having a long distance relationship," Katara stressed, "It will probably be a long time before we're able to see each other again. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Is it what _you_ want?" he countered, "I know it's not ideal but, given my circumstances, it's the best I can offer you right now, Katara."

She leaned in to feather a kiss across his lips. "Then that's good enough for me," she whispered against his mouth, "All I really want is to be with you."

"That's what I want too."

Aang started to deepen his kiss when Katara suddenly tore away from him with an alarmed yelp. "My water's going to boil over!" she cried, scurrying back to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, they were enjoying a small breakfast in front of the television, half watching the talk show program onscreen and half chatting with each other. Katara was surprised to learn that King Kuei had postponed his decision to pass the law requiring benders to register with the Earth Kingdom government. When Katara asked Aang how he had managed to accomplish such a feat, he'd merely shrugged and said, "I offered him friendship."

After that, they talked about Katara's plans for school and her possible majors. "I thought about pre-med," she told him, "since I'm so interested in healing, but then I'm also considering political science. My dad always says that I'm so mouthy I should become a lawyer."

"I know whatever you decide, you'll be amazing," Aang said, leaning over to smack a sound kiss to her lips.

"Spoken like a biased boyfriend," she laughed.

His eyes gleamed with delight. "Am I?"

"Biased? Without a doubt."

"No," he chuckled, "Am I your boyfriend?"

Katara's cheeks grew pink. "Well, I figured after yesterday it was sort of a given."

"I didn't want to assume," Aang murmured.

"I guess you have a point there," she replied rather coyly, "After all, you haven't officially asked me yet…"

Aang rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "Oh…right." He coughed several times, suddenly overwhelmed with shyness and hesitancy as he asked, "Katara…would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes…" she whispered, scooting closer for his kiss, "I would."

They kissed for a few seconds more before Katara shifted to the other side of the sofa so that they could watch an episode of "Benders and the Non-Benders Who Loved Them." The attention they paid to the program was sparse, however, because when they weren't busy making fun of the show's premise, they were making eyes at each other. They picked at the remnants of their breakfast and generally just enjoyed each other's company.

As the atmosphere between them became more relaxed, Katara draped her bare legs over Aang's lap, crossing her feet at the ankles. Aang absently smoothed his hand up and down the length of her shin, splitting his attention between her and the television. At first, his touch was brisk and innocent, simply a means of generating friction to relieve the fine gooseflesh that had risen on Katara's skin. But, what began innocently gradually became more intimate as time passed.

Katara shifted her legs in his lap, her bare heels grazing across his thighs as she responded to his touch. Aang tweaked her painted toes, his caresses growing bolder and more deliberate as he crested back up the length of her leg. There was a subtle change in their breathing when his palm glided over the narrow bump of her knee, his fingertips beating against her inner thigh as he took his exploration higher.

Their eyes locked for a split second before Katara shifted around on the sofa cushions and crawled over to him to meet his lips in an avid kiss. Despite the awkward positioning, they tasted one another thoroughly, their ragged breaths and serrated moans mingling. Aang wound Katara's thick braid around his hand, gripping her hair lightly as he deepened the kiss. With very little prompting, Katara climbed into his lap and straddled him, never once breaking contact with his mouth.

She fit herself snugly over the ridge of his erection, rocking against him in a sweet rhythm that caused Aang to groan her name out loud. Somewhere in the still functioning portion of his brain, he recognized that they were going too far, too fast. He knew he should stop them, but there wasn't a single part of his body that wanted to. The task would have been nearly impossible even if he _had_ wanted to because every part of Katara was overwhelming his senses.

Her tongue was plumbing the interior of his mouth in tantalizing forays, which only increased his desire to taste her just as thoroughly. Her nipples, which were rigid with arousal, scraped against his chest with each rhythmic roll of her hips. Every time she crested against him, her teeth bared, her head thrown back in abandon, Aang could feel his tenuous hold on self-control growing weaker and weaker.

Overwhelmed by the heat which was radiating from her center, Aang framed her hips in his hands and angling into her body, meeting her thrust for thrust. His erection pulsed painfully as he plundered her neck and throat with open mouthed kisses. He pressed her breasts between his fingers, rolling and squeezing them gently in his hands. And then he turned his focus to their sensitive axis, plucking firmly at her turgid nipples with his fingertips. He started to reach for the hem of her nightshirt, needing to taste her skin like he needed air, when Katara scooted from his lap abruptly and jumped to her feet.

Panting with thwarted desire and with every part of him aching, Aang stared up at her in a mixture of frustration and confusion. "Why'd you stop?" he whispered.

Her eyes heavy with desire and anticipation, Katara extended her hand to him. "Come on," she cajoled, "Let's go to my room."

It took Aang less than a second to discern what she meant and, the instant he did, his heart slammed against his ribcage. This wasn't simply going to be an intense make out session that inevitably ended in painful frustration. Katara clearly wanted _more_ than that.

His first reaction was utter elation and excitement, but that was primarily a manifestation of the throbbing ache happening in his jeans right then. His second reaction was disbelief and gratitude that Katara would even want to take such a serious step with him in the first place. His third and last reaction, and perhaps the most visceral of the three, was stone, cold fear. He was terrified, so paralyzed with panic that he couldn't immediately take hold of her hand. Instead, he merely stared at it dumbly before lifting his eyes to her.

"Katara…are…are you sure you want to do this?" he stammered, "I…I mean…I've never done it before. You'd be my first."

She dropped her hand at the question and had a very hard time looking at him when she replied, "Is that a problem?"

"No!" he answered quickly, "I'm just…not experienced with this…particular thing."

Katara could feel her cheeks exploding with color as she choked out, "Yeah…we have that in common."

"You don't think we're moving too fast, do you?"

Uncertain, Katara nibbled at her lower lip. "Do _you_ think so?"

"I don't know," he whispered honestly, "Right now, my body is screaming with so much need for you that I hurt, but… I don't want you to feel pressured."

Katara pinned him with a sharp, penetrating stare. "I don't feel pressured, Aang. Do you feel pressured?"

He shook his head. "I know that you're the person I want to be with, Katara," Aang murmured, "Whether I give my body to you now or later, the commitment is still there. That's the way it is among my people. Everything I have to give is already yours."

"I feel the same," Katara whispered, "And if the next few days are the last ones that you and I are going to share together for a while to come then I want to make them special." She regarded him with a half-lidded expression. "I want to be with you, Aang."

She took a deep breath then and held her hand out to him once more. This time, he took it and allowed her to tug him to his feet. Aang offered very little protest as they stumbled their way down the corridor towards her bedroom, kissing all the while. They were within a few scant inches of her door when he hesitated. He tore his mouth from hers with a jagged inhalation of breath.

"Katara, wait…"

Hazy blue eyes dark with desire blinked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't have any protection with me." He blushed upon the admission, still a little in disbelief that they were having the conversation at all.

She blushed as well, almost choking with nervousness when she replied, "Don't worry about it. Sokka and Suki keep a drawer full of condoms in their room. I doubt they would miss one."

"Two," he whispered as she started to turn away, "You should get _two_ condoms." He ducked his head sheepishly as he added, "I have a feeling that first time is going to go really fast."

Katara bit back a giggle and nudged him into her bedroom before darting across the hall to get what they needed. When she returned, Aang was seated on the edge of her bed with his hands pressed between his knees. Now that some of his ardor had cooled while waiting for her, he appeared more nervous than ever.

Made nervous as well by his expression, Katara scooted inside and closed the door behind her. She leaned back into the wooden façade. "Are you having second thoughts?"

His gray eyes flashed with both naked yearning and boyish uncertainty. "Are you?"

Rather than answer that question verbally, Katara tossed the two foil packages onto her nightstand and then, before she completely lost her nerve, whipped her nightshirt over her head and tossed it aside. She checked the impulse to cover herself, but instead stood before Aang with her arms at her sides and her breasts bared to his feasting stare. In that instant, she captured his undivided attention and held it. Katara felt herself grow red and hot under his intense scrutiny, both self-conscious and aroused by the slight quickening in his breathing.

With a suspended groan, Aang rose up on unsteady legs and closed the distance between them. He lowered his head to kiss her mouth first, sweetly and tenderly. He deliberately took his time, savoring his deep exploration of her mouth before sliding his hands up her midriff in faltering inches to cup and caress her breasts. At the first touch of his fingers on her naked skin, both Katara and Aang moaned loudly. Their need for each other heightened to aching degrees.

Aang nibbled a path across Katara's chin, kissing lower to sample the fragile skin of her throat before sliding lower still to feather his tongue across her collarbone. Katara's breath caught in her throat as he descended lower, his mouth on a meandering trek towards the slope of her breast. He peppered kisses across her satiny skin, nuzzling her gently before finally darting the tip of his tongue across her sensitive nipple. He tasted her in languid laps before finally drawing her nipple into his mouth to suck.

Katara cradled his head against her body, the light beat of her fingers against his skin stoking his hunger for her. He moved to shower her other breast with the same ardent attention, causing Katara to groan his name in satisfaction. She closed her eyes, giving herself over to the sensations he was evoking just as a vision suddenly opened between them…

_She gripped him firmly between her thighs, her nails digging into the sleek flesh of his back as he pounded inside of her. The beat of his thrusts were rhythmic and unfocused, gaining speed as he neared his climax. He buried his face into the damp crook of her throat, whimpering her name again and again._

"_Aang…Aang…!" she cried out hoarsely, "Don't stop…please…"_

"…_With me, Katara…" he gasped as he stroked harder, his body shuddering, "Come with me…come with me…"_

The tumbling flicker of memory ended just as abruptly as it had begun, leaving Katara and Aang more inflamed than ever. He took her lips in another torrid kiss, hooking his arms around her tiny waist and walking her back against the door. Aang pinned her there with his body, lifting her against him so that she could wrap her legs around his waist, leaving no space between them as they sampled each other's lips again and again.

In an avaricious need to be skin to skin, Aang and Katara grappled to free him from his t-shirt. She bunched the material up his lean back, tugging and pulling until he was finally free. After they threw it aside, Katara took a breathless and eager moment to explore Aang's bare chest. She skimmed her hands over the lean ridge of muscle. His skin was smooth and soft to the touch. There was a sparse smattering of dark hair in the center of his chest that tapered into a thin line down the flat plain of his abdomen. Katara followed that stripe of hair with her eyes and then scraped her fingernails across his nipples and further down to trace the path with her fingertips. She trailed lower, delighting in the way his muscles leapt in response to her caresses. When her hands finally came to rest at the waistband of his jeans they emitted a simultaneous gasp.

Their eyes met briefly. Aang yielded to the silent command he read in her eyes. He reached down between them to clumsily flip open his jeans and slide his zipper open. After a bit of awkward maneuvering, he managed to push down his jeans and underwear enough to reveal the weeping tip of his erection. Aang leaned back then in order to give Katara room to explore, his entire body jackknifing and his breath congealing in his lungs when her timid fingers feathered across his swollen flesh.

As she slicked the sticky drops of moisture she found there across his skin, Aang shuddered and buried his face against her shoulder. He thrust against her lightly, a low groan rumbling from his throat. "Please…please, Katara…" he gasped, "I need you… I can't wait anymore…"

Katara couldn't wait anymore either. They kissed again and, with Katara's nimble limbs still wrapped around his waist, Aang took the last stumbling steps to reach her bed. They fell down onto the mattress together, groaning and grasping, beyond eager to divest each other of their remaining clothing. Aang hooked his fingers into the loosened waist of Katara's shorts and started to drag them down over her hips along with her panties when her bedroom door suddenly yawned open. The young lovers scrambled apart with lightning speed as Suki came into view.

"Katara, is there any reason why you left…?" Suki trailed off into silence as she was greeted with an eyeful of the blushing, nearly naked couple. They made a belated attempt to scurry beneath the covers in an attempt to conceal their nudity but Suki had already seen more than enough. "And I can see this is a bad time for you," she uttered with as much dignity as she could manage, "By the way, nice haircut, Aang. Carry on then."

She said nothing further, but simply backed from the room and shut the door firmly behind her. Unfortunately, she had no time to digest the reality that she had just walked in on her boyfriend's little sister having sex with the Avatar. She had more pertinent issues on her mind, namely making sure that Sokka didn't receive the same eyeful she had just received.

Suki dashed back into the living room, sagging with relief when Sokka seemed more preoccupied with ferreting out leftovers in the refrigerator than wondering what his baby sister was up to. On the spur of the moment, Suki made a quick grab for her purse and stuffed it behind the sofa cushion before skipping into the kitchen to stand alongside Sokka. She was careful to position herself between him and the hallway, in case Aang had the desperate notion to sneak out.

Sokka acknowledged her with a low grunt and continued his rummaging. "Good grief! Why is there so much fruit in here?" he wondered in exasperation, "Did you go to the market?"

"I haven't picked up anything recently."

He grumbled some more. "So what's up with you?" he asked when he sensed her hovering, "Was Katara awake? Did you get on her case about leaving my baby unattended?"

"You know…I could probably sympathize with your irritation if I thought you were talking about Momo," she sighed.

Sokka emerged from the refrigerator with an armful of leftovers. "Haha," he sneered dryly, "Mock me all you want, but that television is more precious to me than my entire kingdom!"

"Thanks for that."

"Don't take it personally. It took me five paychecks to save up for that beauty," he grumped, "I don't mind Katara watching it, but she needs to remember to turn it off when she's done. She's always on my case about one thing or another, so you can bet that I'm going to give her a piece of my mind about this."

"No!" Suki cried when he set down his bounty and she thought he might head for his sister's room.

Sokka looked at her as if he thought she had lost her mind. "What is with you?"

"You can't disturb her! She's resting!"

"So what?" Sokka snorted, "It's already way past noon. She needs to get up anyway." He started to step around her, but Suki stubbornly blocked his path. "Suki," he growled, "Why are you acting so weird?"

"I…I…I have an emergency!" she prevaricated.

Sokka quirked a skeptical brow. "What sort of emergency?"

"I left my purse in the car. I need you to go get it for me."

"How is _that_ an emergency?"

"Sokka, we live in the lower ring," Suki said as if that should be explanation enough, "I don't want to entice thieves."

He cast a longing look towards the food he had liberated from the refrigerator. "Could I, at least, make myself a sandwich first?"

Suki shook her head, already ushering him towards the door. "No, you can't. You have to go now!"

"Okay, okay…stop being so pushy about it!"

"And Sokka?" she added as he started through the door, "Take the stairs."

"What for?" he balked, "It's four freaking flights!"

"I didn't want to say anything before, but…lately I've noticed you getting a little thick around the middle," she lied baldly. She smiled at him to take away the sting. "A bit of exercise couldn't hurt."

The smile did not help. Sokka stomped from the apartment, muttering under his breath, "Stupid purse! Stupid girlfriend! Stupid stairs! I'm in the best shape of my life!"

Once he was gone, Aang and Katara carefully crept from the bedroom with matching expressions of pure mortification. Katara favored Suki with a weak smile of gratitude. "Thank you for not telling."

"Don't thank me, Katara," the older girl replied sternly, "I'm not making a habit of this."

"We weren't expecting you," Katara explained, "Sokka's note said you wouldn't be back until the afternoon."

"It _is_ the afternoon," Suki pointed out, "Maybe time got away from you while you and Aang were…er…busy."

They both slumped further, their faces practically exploding with color by this point. "I'm so sorry, Suki," Aang mumbled contritely, "The last thing we wanted was to make you feel uncomfortable."

"That's an understatement, Aang," she muttered, "I've seen more of your naked backside than I care to." Their features suffused with an even deeper shade of scarlet with that comment, looking so mortified and so miserable that Suki couldn't help but pity them a little bit. "Listen, you two, I get it. First times are always awkward." Both Aang and Katara dropped their eyes to the floor. "It…uh…was your first time, wasn't it?"

"Yes…" Katara choked.

"Okay. Good," Suki sighed in relief, "Look…I'm not judging you two. What you do together is your business. Just please promise me two things: first, you need to tell Sokka that you're a couple. It's not fair to sneak around behind his back. Second, be responsible. If you can do those two things, then I'm good."

"We will," they promised softly.

"I guess that's that then," Suki said, "I'll make myself scarce when Sokka comes back so you guys can talk." As if on cue, the door handle jiggled, signaling Sokka's return. Suki favored Aang and Katara with an ironic smile. "And it looks like that time just came."


	8. Day Four, Part Two

**Day Four, Part Two**

Sokka leaned in the open doorway looking winded, sweaty and more than a little grumpy. "I couldn't find your purse, Suki," he panted stumbling inside and kicking the door closed behind him, "I looked everywhere. Are you sure you left it in the car?"

"Actually, I found it," Suki chirped, bending over to yank her bag from behind the sofa cushions, "Would you believe that it was here the whole time?" Just as he was about to launch into a full-fledged righteous rant about the whole thing, she added quickly, "Your sister and Aang would like to talk to you about something."

His brows drew together in a deep frown. "Aang?" Sokka did a double-take, noticing the airbender for the first time since he entered the apartment. "Hey. You have no hair."

Aang smoothed his hand across his prickly scalp. "Yeah…I'm aware of that."

Sokka bounced a curious glance between him and Katara, noting their reddened faces. He blinked at Aang in expectation. "So…when did you get here?"

That simple question was met with resounding silence. Suki consulted her nonexistent watch. "Would you look at that?" she whistled, "It's time for me to do something important." She hopped over to peck Sokka on the cheek and then sauntered past Aang and Katara, staunchly ignoring the silent pleading in both of their eyes. She wiggled her fingers at them in a jaunty goodbye. "Have fun, you two."

She only chuckled when they growled in response. Aang and Katara watched her leave with a mixture of annoyance and desperation. They should have known better than to hope for any kind of pity or leniency from her. Suki seemed to be enjoying their misery far too much.

When they swung around reluctantly to acknowledge Sokka again, they found him appraising them with keen and dissecting eyes. One glance at his expression confirmed that he was already putting the situation together in his head and the conclusion he was coming to was not making him happy. Katara flailed around mentally for the most appropriate way to begin her explanation, but Sokka cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"Did he spend the night here, Katara?" he demanded flatly.

"No, he didn't spend the night," Katara replied, but before Sokka could wilt with relief over that she added, "But we _are_ together now."

"Together? What exactly does that mean? When did that happen? You barely know each other!" He cut a sharp glance towards Aang. "What are you intentions for my sister?"

"His intentions?" Katara snorted indignantly, "Are you seriously asking him that? Sokka, aren't you about 300 years too late with that kind of thinking? Aang and I want to be together. That's all you need to know."

Sokka firmly ignored her, his eyes fixed on Aang in an unwavering stare. "I'm asking _you_. Is this some way for you to pass the time or are you serious about Katara? I'm not going to let you treat her like a groupie!"

"A groupie?" Katara sputtered in outrage.

"I watch the news," he maintained stubbornly, "I know how the girls are all over him! How do you know he's not running a line on you, Katara?"

Katara buried her face in her hands with a heavy groan. "I can't believe this…"

"I'm not using your sister, Sokka," Aang informed him firmly, "I really care about her." He hesitated in saying that he loved her, not because he believed that was too forceful a description for what he felt, but because he suspected it might be a little hard for Sokka to swallow given that he and Katara had only known each other for a short time. "What I share with her is very precious to me. I won't hurt her."

"You'd better not," Sokka grumbled, but it was clear that he was far from mollified, "Or you'll have me to deal with."

"I don't blame you for being protective."

"And I don't need your permission to care about my sister!" Sokka retorted, "What I want is to know what's going on here! Besides the fact that you're the Avatar, I really don't know anything about you. Who are your people? Where were you born? What kind of childhood did you have? Why are you bald right now? I need these answers!"

"Would you quit grilling him?" Katara fired.

"Let him answer, Katara!" Sokka growled back, "He doesn't need you fighting his battles for him!"

Katara groaned anew. "It's like a never-ending nightmare. Sokka, it's not Aang's judgment that you're questioning right now. It's mine! So, stop it! I'm not a kid anymore!"

"I know you're not a kid, okay!" he bit out, "But obviously Aang is important to you and if he's going to be in your life then I want to know who he is, Katara!"

Aang caught hold of Katara's hand when she would have shot back another snarling retort, hoping to soothe her ire towards Sokka. At his gentle touch, Katara clamped her mouth shut, but her expression remained hostile. "It's okay," he murmured, "He has a right to ask, Katara."

"You see?" Sokka drawled in a haughty tone, "He gets it."

"What do you want to know?" Aang asked him.

"Start with the basics."

"Okay…my mother and father are named Lasya and Tenzin," Aang provided quietly, "They met when my mother was fourteen and married four years after that. I was born in the Fire Nation while my parents were traveling. When I was three and a half, they dedicated me to the Southern Air Temple so that I could train. I stayed there until I had mastered airbending and, after that, I went to live with my parents full-time. We moved to a small township outside of Ba Sing Se shortly after that. I had a very happy childhood and my family is extremely close. Three months ago, I learned I was the Avatar."

Sokka mentally turned over all the information Aang had just given him. "And that's it? Essentially, except for the master of the four elements thing, you're like a normal kid?"

"Pretty much."

"So why you'd shave your head? You look really different and it's freaking me out."

Katara emitted a mortified groan over that but Aang merely laughed. "That's a tradition among my people. When I leave for the North Pole, I will be expected to live as the monks do. Shaving one's head is part of that." He smiled at Sokka. "Anything else?"

"Eh…you got any money?"

"Sokka!" Katara cried in consternation, "What is wrong with you?"

He shrugged; refusing to be cowed by his sister's disapproving tone. "It's an honest question." He threw a glance at Aang. "So, are you loaded or what?"

"I'm afraid it's 'or what.' I'm not rich, if that's what you're asking."

Sokka clucked in disappointment. "You got a car?"

"Also a negative."

"So other than being the Avatar, you don't have much going on for you in the financial department, huh?"

"No. Not so much."

"Okay then," Sokka sighed in satisfaction, "Wanna hang out and play some video games then?"

"Uh…sure."

An hour later, the two young men were slouched together on Sokka's dilapidated sofa, engrossed in a rather spirited game of Airball Pro while Momo darted back and forth between them in a bid for attention. Katara and Suki watched them from behind the kitchen island while they prepared a late lunch. As Katara shredded cabbage for a warm salad, she was hardly aware of the besotted expression on her face as she watched Aang with her brother, but Suki was hardly oblivious. She studied Katara with an amused, sideways smirk.

"You really like him, don't you?" she remarked softly.

Katara snapped erect at the tiny thread of surprise she detected in Suki's tone. "Of course I do. You walked in us earlier. I would have thought that was obvious."

Suki lifted her shoulders in a noncommittal shrug. "That could have easily been hormones. I mean, it's not like Aang's a bad looking guy or anything."

"Well, that _did_ have a little something to do with it," Katara confessed in a sheepish tone.

"No kidding," Suki joked, "But I've been watching you two today and it's really obvious that it's more than that. I don't know…there just seems to be something really deep between you two."

"There _is_ something really deep between us, Suki," Katara revealed in a dramatic whisper, "You're going to think I'm crazy when I tell you this, but…I think Aang and I might have loved each other in a past life."

As expected, Suki snorted a short laugh. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm not. I already told you that sometimes I see things when we're together. Well, he does too. We see these people and they look like us and the _feel_ like us, but they are obviously _not_ us."

Suki squinted at her. "What are you talking about?"

"It's like we have their memories and we're seeing the life they lived together."

"Katara, I'm not going to pretend to know what that is or what it means, but…reincarnation?" Suki considered in a highly dubious tone, "I know Aang is the Avatar so the weird, spiritual stuff comes with the territory, but this idea that you two were lovers in a past life seems like a leap to me."

"I thought I was jumping to conclusions too," Katara admitted, "So I decided to do some research this morning on past avatars just to be sure."

"And?"

"I actually found an airbender named Aang in those records and you know what else? He was actually married to a woman named Katara."

Suki suppressed an amazed shiver. "That…is…really…freaky."

"You're telling me. I know that's who Aang and I see in those visions. It has to be them."

"What else did you find out?"

"Not much at all. Aang came over while I was in the middle of my Net search and we…um…kind of got distracted after that."

"Uh-huh…I'll bet you did," Suki grunted with a knowing smile. Katara expelled a nervous cough, her cheeks suffusing with heat, but that didn't deter Suki from pressing her on the subject. "So what was it like anyway?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

"What was what like?"

"Having sex with the Avatar?"

Katara choked, this time going into a coughing fit so violent she actually distracted Aang and Sokka from their game. After reassuring them both that she was fine and not in need of the Heimlich, she shot an incredulous glower Suki's way. "I cannot believe you just asked me that," she hissed, "How adolescent are you?"

"What? I'm curious."

"You've been around Sokka too long. You sound just like him!"

"Don't try to distract me with insults. Spill the details, my friend."

"There are no details to spill. We didn't finish…" Katara confessed with some embarrassment, "You walked in on it, remember? And, for the record, you should know that you are the worst cockblocker in the history of cockblockers!"

"Oh," Suki chirped, reddening with chagrin, "Sorry about that."

Katara rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Whatever."

"Well, I didn't know how far you'd gotten!" Suki cried defensively, "When I came into the room you guys were in the bed and all I saw was naked a—,"

"—I get it," Katara interrupted dryly, "You've made your point."

"I was just wondering if it would be a different experience, given that he's the Avatar and all."

Katara doubted it had much to do with Aang being the Avatar at all. She had gleaned enough from the odd flashbacks she'd experienced to discern that sexual intimacy with Aang was an incredible experience and something thoroughly enjoyable. She couldn't imagine that reality would be much different. However, it was also something she found thoroughly private, something special between her and Aang alone. While she had grown to love Suki very much in the past year and had even come to think of the older girl as a sister, that aspect of her relationship with Aang was something she wanted to keep to herself. So, despite Suki's girlish need to gab and her own girlish need to gush, Katara ignored Suki's nosy prodding and smoothly changed the subject.

She was in the midst of a long-winded monologue about the wonders of salad, thereby avoiding Suki's rampant curiosity but incurring her scowling "what" face, when Aang sauntered over to the island. He offered her an adoring smile. She responded with equal adoration. "To what do I owe this honor? Did you get bored?" she teased him.

His grin widened. "More like I was missing you."

"Ugh. Don't mind me," Suki grumbled good-naturedly, "I'll just be over here gagging."

Katara flicked her with a glance devoid of pity. "After all you and Sokka have put me through, I'd say you had this coming, Suki."

"Actually…" Aang drawled, "_Sokka_ is the one who sent me over here. He was wondering if we could switch out. Apparently, there's some bending match about to come on and he wanted to know if Suki was interested."

In answer to that, Suki quickly set aside her slicing knife and dried her hands on a dishtowel. "Later, you two," she sang out airily before hopping to join Sokka on the sofa. Aang and Katara hardly noticed her exit. They were too busy smiling at each other.

"So, basically you only came over here because Sokka dumped you, is that it?" Katara teased him with a mock pout, "Frankly, I'm a little hurt by the fact that you seem to like my brother more than me."

"Not at all," Aang reassured her, "I've wanted to come in here for the last half hour but you and Suki seemed like you were having girl talk so I didn't want to disturb you. But, for the record, there's no way I like Sokka better than you. You have…uh…certain attributes that your brother definitely can't touch."

"Yeah…I'll just bet," she laughed.

He bobbed his eyebrows at her before asking seriously, "What can I do to help?"

"You can finish slicing the fruit since Suki abandoned ship." They worked side by side in companionable silence before Katara asked, "Did you enjoy your game?"

"Yeah…your brother's hilarious. We actually have a lot in common."

Katara went to check on her steamed cabbage and mulled that over, undecided on whether that made her happy or not. "He didn't interrogate you anymore, did he?"

"He asked some more questions," Aang admitted, "He wanted to know how serious things had gotten between us."

She went still. "And what did you tell him?"

"The truth." She lurched around with a stunned gasp when Aang added with a short laugh, "Not _that_. Do I look crazy to you? I don't have a death wish!"

Katara shoved him, huffing in laughing exasperation, "You're such a jerk! You knew I was going to jump to the wrong conclusion."

"The Avatar is many things," Aang said with the utmost seriousness, "But, a teller of the future, he is _not_."

"Sometimes, I don't know whether to kick you or kiss you," Katara grumbled.

Aang batted his lashes at her. "I'd prefer option B."

The look Katara shot him clearly stated that would not be happening anytime soon. "So what _did_ you tell Sokka?"

"I told him that I'm really falling for you and that I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

In an instant, her mild annoyance with him melted away and a slow smile dawned across her face. "You do?"

His cheeks reddened with a shy blush. "Yeah. You make me really happy, Katara."

"You make me happy too," she whispered.

"Sokka just wanted to know that my intentions towards you were honorable."

Katara whacked her cleaver against the cutting board with a narrowed glare at the back of her brother's head. "Ugh! Again with the 'intentions!' What is with him? He's so annoying!"

"Whoa there now." Aang reached over to pry the knife from her white-knuckled grip and set it aside. "Let's put away the sharp, pointy objects and simmer down a little, shall we?"

She glared at him. "I don't like how he treats me like a child! What happens between us is really none of his business!"

"You and I both know that's not true," Aang argued softly, "If I had a sister and I came home to find her _in my apartment_ with some boy that I barely knew, I'd ask questions too. He cares about you, Katara."

"I guess you might have a point…maybe…" she admitted in a grudging tone.

"Besides…considering what we were doing before he got here, I don't feel like either of us is in a position to be resentful with him. Can you imagine what would have happened if _he_ had walked in on us instead of Suki?"

Katara shuddered. "Suki was bad enough."

"Yeah, that was pretty embarrassing."

Upon the mention of what happened prior to Suki's arrival and the strange thread of regret she detected in his tone, Katara's belly clenched with uncertainty. She managed a spasmodic swallow before she asked rather timidly, "You don't regret what happened, do you?"

His reply was nearly inaudible, but unquestionably powerful. "No. I don't regret it." He favored her with a sultry look, his desire for her prominently displayed in his expression. "I still want you, Katara."

"I still want you too," she confessed softly, "I wish we could have finished."

"I do too." He cast a furtive glance at the backs of Sokka and Suki's heads, mentally calculating his chances of having some alone time with Katara. "Do you think they're going to hang out here for the rest of the day?"

"Probably so," Katara surmised glumly. "Sokka's overprotective brother senses are on high alert now. The chances of him leaving us alone together are slim to none."

Aang bit out a soft, frustrated curse. "Do you think that maybe we could go somewhere else then? I feel like I need to be alone with you right now otherwise, I'm going to explode."

Not knowing whether to blush or grin in reaction to that candid statement, Katara did both. "Somewhere like where? You mean like a hotel?"

He dropped his head forward and released a self-deprecating groan. "I sound desperate, don't I?"

Katara giggled. "Just a little bit," she teased him, "But I like it. It's good to know that you want me so much."

Aang favored her with a dour glance. "This is really going to your head, isn't it?"

She giggled again. "Aww, don't pout. All is not lost. Maybe we can try again tomorrow. It's our last day together before you leave. I want it to be special."

Rather than making him smile, the suggestion brought a deep frown to Aang's face instead. "I don't know if I'll be able to get away tomorrow, Katara," he said in a regretful tone, "I still have a lot of preparation to get done before I leave for the North Pole. I've been putting it off all week."

His words set off yet another mood swing in Katara. Tears immediately welled in her eyes. "So you mean this is our last day together?"

Aang crossed the small bit of distance between them and reached out to cup her cheek. "It's _not_ our last day, Katara," he whispered, "Don't think of it that way. It's just the beginning of us." He leaned down to kiss her, giving no regard to the fact her brother was less than twenty feet away because he needed that intimacy between them and he knew she needed it too. It took a few seconds to coax her into responding to him but, when she did, Katara kissed him back without reservation.

They were still kissing when Sokka announced in a grave tone, "Aang, I think you'd better get over here."

Katara groaned against Aang's lips. "Sokka, what do you want? Aang's very busy right now."

"This is serious, Katara. There's been a bombing. It looks bad."

Alarmed by the urgency in Sokka's tone, Aang shrugged out of Katara's loose hold then and made his way towards the living room. The news bulletin on the television immediately caught and held his attention. "…a coordinated attack on all four air temples," the announcer was saying, "The resulting blasts from each explosion was felt as far as a two mile radius. Countless are dead and still more are missing. Rescuers continue to search for survivors. Again, at approximately 1:15 p.m. E.K. standard time, a coordinated bombing attack was made on the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Air Temples…"

Aang felt as if he had been swept up into a vacuum. He could hear the words and see the horrific images but none of it made any sense. He couldn't process anything beyond the fact that the temple where he had spent the majority of his childhood had been left in burning ruins. The color drained from his face. He gripped the edge of the sofa because, for a minute, he was sure he was going to fall to his knees.

Katara worriedly placed her hand on his trembling shoulder. "Aang? Are you okay?"

The question mobilized him, unexpectedly kick-started his ability to think again. He swept up his jacket from the sofa armrest, already heading towards the door. "I have to go," he said, "I need to get back to the hotel."

Her stomach lurching with helplessness and dread, Katara trailed after him. "Can I do anything to help? Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. I need to be by myself for a while." He placed an absent kiss on her forehead. "I'll call you later."

He left without another word, disappearing down the dim corridor without a backwards glance. It was a long time before Katara regained enough composure to step back inside the apartment and close the door. She stood there for a moment, her forehead pressed against the painted wood before finally turning to face Sokka and Suki again. She wasn't surprised to find them both watching her with varying degrees of pity and concern. They both were at a loss as to what to say, but Sokka was the first to recover his power of speech.

"Are you okay, Katara?"

"I'm not the one you should be asking that question," she replied woodenly. "I can't understand who would do such a sick and twisted thing."

"There's a terrorist group who call themselves the Equalists who are taking credit," Suki revealed.

"But why?" Katara cried, "The Air Nomads are a peaceful nation!"

"It's because they're all benders," Sokka interjected softly, "According to these Equalists people, that makes the Air Nomads too powerful, especially now because the Avatar has been reborn as an Air Nomad. They called their actions a 'preemptive strike.'"

"And they say that _benders_ are the threat to society?" Katara scoffed bitterly, "_We're_ the ones being terrorized!"

"Katara, don't do that," Suki urged, "Don't make all non-benders into the enemy."

She locked her jaw stubbornly, obviously past the point of reason. "I gotta go," she declared, "Aang needs me! He shouldn't have to deal with this alone." Sokka moved to block her when she would have whirled for the door and made a quick exit. She had to stamp down the inclination to shove him. "Get out of my way, Sokka!"

"Katara, no! It's too dangerous! Aang is a target right now. You don't need to be with him until this whole thing is resolved."

"You're not going to stop me," she growled.

"This has nothing to do with you!"

"It has _everything_ to do with me! I love him!"

That passionate admission did what nothing else had done. It stunned Sokka into complete silence. It stunned Katara as well. She had never bothered to put a label on what she felt for Aang. She had never sought to examine anything beyond her encompassing need to be with him. But now that she had said the words out loud, Katara knew that they were true. She had fallen in love with him…and it had taken less than four days.

"I love him, Sokka," she said again, this time in a softer tone, "He needs me."

"Maybe that's true," Sokka replied gruffly when he found his voice again, "But _I_ need you too. I don't want you to get hurt, Katara. I can't let you leave."

He set up watch in the living room, determined to thwart any attempt Katara made for escape. Bitter and resentful and left without much recourse, Katara retreated to her bedroom, slammed the door and locked it behind her. Her options were limited. There was always the window, but they were four flights up. She supposed she could bend an ice slide down to the ground level, but that was going to take a great deal more water than what she had on hand in her bedroom. She knew if she even dared to set foot outside of her room, especially after the tantrum she had just thrown, Sokka would be all over her.

Frustrated with herself and with her brother, Katara flung herself down onto her bed with a heavy sigh. Just a few hours earlier, she and Aang had been planning to make love right on the very spot she lay and now she wasn't even sure if she would ever see him again. She stared intently at her cell phone where it lay on her nightstand beside the two unused condoms from before, silently begging it to ring. When it didn't, she impulsively grabbed both the phone and the foil packages and shoved them into her purse so that she wouldn't have to look at either. And then she flung the bag across the room, buried her face into her pillow and cried her eyes out.

Three hours later, Aang still hadn't called and Katara had gone past the point of being sick with worry. She paced the interior of her bedroom like a caged mountain-tiger while casting pensive glances over towards her window. The idea of using that as her escape route was looking better and better. She was just about to unlock the windowpane when her bedroom door opened and Suki slipped inside. Katara quickly spun away from the window and glared at the older girl with open hostility.

"I thought I locked that door."

"You did," Suki confirmed, "I picked the lock. What can I say? Once a Kyoshi Warrior, always a Kyoshi Warrior. The Yu Yan Girl Scouts have nothing on us."

"Did Sokka send you in here to spy on me?" Katara demanded flatly.

"No. I came in here because I was worried about you. We are _both_ worried about you, Katara. You know Sokka is only trying to protect you." Katara grunted. Suki heaved an aggravated sigh. "Can't you try to see this from his perspective?" she cried, "As far as he can see, you met a boy four days ago and now you're willing to risk your life to be with him. Don't you think that's scary?"

"He's not just a boy," Katara replied hoarsely, "He fixed something in me that I thought would be broken forever after my mom died. He gave me hope again. I love him so much, Suki. I just want to help him."

"I know you do."

The commiseration and understanding in Suki's tone took Katara by surprise. "Does that mean you'll help me?"

An uneasy expression flittered across Suki's features. "If I let you borrow my car, will you promise to take care of it and not do anything foolish?"

Katara melted with gratitude. "I promise! Thank you so much, Suki!" She threw her arms around Suki's neck in a grateful hug. "You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Just don't make me regret it," Suki grumbled, "Sokka's going to kill me."

"No, he won't. He'll forgive you," Katara whispered before taking a step back, "He loves you. He'll understand."

"I think you underestimate just how protective your brother is of you, Katara. If anything ever happened to you…"

"It won't," Katara interrupted firmly, "Aang will take care of me. We'll take care of each other." She threw a furtive glance at her door, her mind already bouncing to her potential escape. "How am I supposed to get past Sokka?" she wondered, "He's practically set up camp in the living room."

"Leave Sokka to me," Suki said, "Give me twenty minutes."

It proved to be the longest twenty minutes of Katara's life. An eternity seemed to pass before she finally heard the telltale squeak of Sokka's bedroom door as it closed. After that, Katara didn't waste any time gathering her purse and winter coat before creeping out into the darkened hallway. Unfortunately, the instant she stepped into the living room and clicked on the lamp to search for Suki's car keys, Momo set up a wild chittering.

Katara shushed him frantically. "Please, Momo…" she begged, "I will bring you back your weight in lychee nuts if you just keep quiet." The lemur was sold. He tucked his ears and settled back down against his pallet.

Sagging with relief, Katara swiftly located Suki's keys and quietly dashed for the door. She yanked it open, only to stop short when she found a disheveled and despondent Aang standing on the other side of it. He looked like he had survived a war. His eyes were swollen and rimmed with red. His face was blotchy and sallow. It didn't take much to discern that he had been crying. Katara threw her arms around him in a fervent hug.

"Are you alright? What are you doing here? You can't be walking around like this! It's dangerous!"

He held onto her like a drowning man. Katara could feel his body trembling and that only heightened her anxiety. "I know I shouldn't have come here but, I had to get away," he whispered gruffly, "I had to see you, Katara."

"It's okay. I'm here."

"I don't know what to do. Everything's a mess."

"Just tell me whatever you need, Aang."

"I can't stay here," he said, "I don't have much time because they're looking for me and I'm pretty sure Gyatso will tell them where to find me."

Katara leaned away from him then, noticing the pack slung across his shoulder for the first time. "Aang? What are you planning? You're not running, are you?" She was shaking her head in absolute disagreement before he could even begin to explain. "No! You can't do that! That's not a good idea at all!"

"I don't have a choice. I have to get away from here, Katara, and… I want you to come with me."

"Aang, I don't know if you should do this," she whispered.

"Please…"

"This is so bad. I…I don't know if you should do this."

"I've made up my mind about it," he told her, "I'm going…with or without you, but I'd prefer it if you came with me." He held out his hand to her. "Please come with me…"

Although she was unsure and frightened and almost completely sure they were making a terrible mistake, Katara did the only thing she could do…she gave him her hand. "Where are we going?"

"To the place where I was born. Ember Island."


	9. Day Five

**Day Five**

"So are you going to talk about it or are we going to drive all the way to the Fire Nation in silence?"

Katara didn't imagine that this was quite what Suki had in mind when she offered her car. Currently, she and Aang were on the highway, headed straight for the Fire Nation coast, but Aang had yet to tell her why he even wanted to go there. Furthermore, he had yet to say much to her at all. Instead, he was slouched in the passenger's seat, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled low over his face, concealing what Katara suspected was a sullen and forlorn expression because his posture certainly indicated it.

At first, she was willing to give him some silent time. After the day he'd had, he deserved a little time to process all that had happened. But they had been traveling close to two hours now and the silence had become almost deafening. She needed to know what was going on in his head…even if all he did was rant or cry.

"Please, talk to me," she urged again when he failed to respond.

"What do you want me to say?" he mumbled, "A lot of people died today. It's my fault. That sums it up."

"No, it doesn't." He retreated into silence once again. Katara spared him with a commiserating look in between keeping her attention focused on the road. "I watched the news reports. At least the temples weren't destroyed and the uninjured airbenders were able to gain control of the fire rather quickly. It could have been much worse, Aang."

He released a shuddering breath. "I know that a lot more people could have died," he reasoned gruffly, "But that doesn't change the fact that the attack happened because of me, as a message to _me_…" He tugged his hood even lower over his eyes. "All I keep thinking is…what if Gyatso had been at one of the temples? What if my parents had been?"

"What if you had been?" Katara wondered thickly.

Their eyes clashed in a profound stare. "You shouldn't worry about me," he whispered.

Katara favored him with a sad smile. "I'm beginning to think it's hard-wired."

His gaze skittered away then, but not before becoming embittered and filled with self-loathing. "But you really don't have reason to be concerned about me, do you, Katara?" he mumbled, "I'm the Avatar, after all. I must be protected at all times. It's _other_ people who should suffer for my existence."

"That's it!" Without warning, Katara slammed on the brakes and swerved the car into the emergency lane. Aang barely had time to recover from the near heart attack that she had given him because she was already throwing the car into park and rounding on him in righteous indignation. "Would you stop blaming yourself?" she cried, "What happened today wasn't your fault! There are evil people in the world, Aang. You're not responsible for their actions."

"Katara, I don't know what you want me to say! I can't do this," he lamented brokenly, "I can't be this leader they want me to be. I'm scared and I just want…just want…" He faltered off into silence an anguished sniffle, furtively wiping away the tears that fell on his cheeks with his fists. "I don't want to think about it right now."

"Well, what _do_ you want, Aang."

He leveled her with an entreating look. "_This._ To be with you, to get out of my own head for a while. Can you understand that?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Does that mean you won't try to send me careening through the windshield again?"

It was the first joke he'd told in hours and, because of that, Katara was willing to let the subtle dig at her driving skills slide. She bit back her answering smile and carefully maneuvered them back into highway traffic. "Fair enough," she murmured, "But can you, at least, tell me why we're going to Ember Island?"

"I have happy memories of that place. It's where my parents first met Iroh. It's where I made some of my closest friends," he explained, "After I came back from the temple, I would always spend my summers there with Iroh and Zuko on the beach."

"Aang…I hate to point this out to you when you've already had such a crappy day, but…it's freezing. I don't know what happy memories you imagine you'll make in the middle of winter besides turning into a human Popsicle."

To her amazement, he actually grunted a small laugh and tipped a glance at her around the edge of his hood. "Actually, I was thinking that I wanted to be alone with you and Ember Island is about the last place the monks will look for me."

"You can't run forever, Aang," Katara advised him softly.

He turned back towards the window, his tone morose once again when he said, "No…but I can run for now."

It was shortly after midnight when Katara and Aang finally crossed the bridge that would take them onto the tiny island. Long ago, she had silenced her cell phone because the constant buzzing had become incessant. She and Aang had deliberately avoided listening to the radio because they imagined there was a media circus going on with Aang's disappearance. She knew that couldn't stand for long and, eventually, Aang was going to have to call and let everyone know he was alright. But, for now, she was willing to give him a break about it because he seemed to need some time to process all that had happened earlier that day.

Once they reached the island, Aang directed her on a winding, gravel path that led to a row of bungalows just along the beach. When they reached the house on the very end, he told her to stop. She couldn't see enough of the place to have an impression of it, as shimmering moonlight was the only illumination they had. Frankly, Katara was so exhausted that she didn't particularly care either. All she wanted right then was warmth and a bed.

As Aang climbed from the car and reached into the backseat to grab the few belongings they'd brought with them, Katara stretched and worked out the kinks in her back. She tried to take in as much of her surroundings as she could in the darkness. "Is this where you were born?" she asked when Aang came around to join her.

"No," he replied, starting up the paved path that led to the house, "This is Iroh's summer place. We actually passed the Firelord's house on the way up here. He's Iroh's younger brother."

Katara stopped short. "Iroh's _brother_ is the Firelord? You never mentioned that he and Zuko were Fire Nation royalty."

"Technically, Iroh is the rightful Firelord. But he deferred the throne to his brother so that he could follow his dreams. He gave it all up so that he could be true to himself."

"No wonder he and your parents became such good friends," Katara murmured.

Aang nodded. "Yeah. They have a lot in common. Come on," he urged, beckoning her forward, "Let's get inside. It's cold."

"Are you sure it's okay if we stay here?" Katara fretted as Aang felt along the top of the doorsill for the key, "I'd hate to add breaking and entering to my current list of crimes. Grand theft auto is more than enough."

"I have a key," he informed with a short laugh. A moment later, he produced the aforementioned and inserted it into the lock. He pushed the door open with a satisfied smirk. "Presto! See? Nothing to worry about."

Once they stepped inside, Aang clicked on the interior light, allowing Katara her first full view of the house's interior. It wasn't the lavish getaway that one might expect for a former Firelord, but it was certainly no modest abode either. The floor plan was an open one, with a large, pristine kitchen and a spacious dining area. The front living space was also large and led out to a covered patio on the side of the house. Though the furniture was mostly draped with heavy white sheets, Katara didn't doubt that it was as fine as the rest of the house.

"There are two bedrooms and each has its own bathroom," Aang told her, "You can take the one at the end of the hall. It's bigger. I'll sleep in the one just off the kitchen."

Katara took her bag from him. "Aang, don't you think we should talk?"

"In the morning," he mumbled, "I promise we'll talk more then. I'm beat."

Ten minutes later, Katara found herself ensconced within the largest bed she had ever seen and probably more exhausted than she'd ever been in her life…but she couldn't sleep a wink. As weary as she was after driving all night, both mentally and emotionally, she couldn't rest when she knew that Aang was lying awake in his own bed, suffering in solitude. Whether he was intent on pushing her away or not, Katara knew that he needed her. Finally giving up the pretense altogether, she flipped back the covers and rolled from the bed.

It took her a few seconds to adjust to the darkness enough to navigate her way through the corridor and around to Aang's bedroom. When she was just outside the door, she paused to take a shaky breath and then raised her fist to knock softly. He didn't immediately answer, but Katara refused to concede defeat. She turned the knob, relieved to find it unlocked, and slipped into his bedroom. The instant she entered, Aang popped upright to regard her in the spilling moonlight. She was able to make out only his murky outline in the darkness. His expression remained a mystery so she didn't know if her arrival was welcome or not.

"I can go if you want," she prefaced timidly, "But I was thinking that you shouldn't be alone tonight." She swallowed thickly and added, "I didn't want to be alone either."

When her admission was met with yet more silence, Katara thought that Aang was rejecting her request…until she realized he was holding up the corner of his sheet in invitation for her to join him. Katara quickly scrambled underneath the covers with him and they situated themselves so that they were lying face to face with only a foot or so between them. She reached out to brush her fingers across his cheek, not surprised to find them damp. Aang captured her hand and pressed a fleeting kiss to her fingertips.

"I'm sorry about everything," he whispered, "I've been taking this day out on you and that's not fair."

"Don't be sorry…I've been there. After my mother died, all I could do was lash out, especially at the people who loved me. I get it."

"That doesn't make it right, Katara," Aang argued, "You've done nothing but support me. You drove out all this way when I asked you to without question. You deserve better than the way I've treated you."

"If you mean that, then tell me what you're feeling right now."

"I feel guilty…" he confessed brokenly, "And ashamed. While I was with you today, my people were being terrorized. They were _dying_. I feel like I should have done something to stop it, to protect them, but I don't even know what that is. But the worst part is…I can't be sorry."

"Can't be sorry about what?"

"I can't be sorry that I was with you today. I'm glad we shared that…something good and pure in the middle of so much ugliness. What kind of Avatar does that make me, Katara?"

She dropped a loving kiss to the tip of his nose. "The human kind."

"I feel like I'm failing before I've really even started," he told her, "The monks were planning to take me away tonight, to some secret location that only they knew. They don't think it's safe for me anymore."

"I've been wondering the same thing," Katara confessed, "I don't think it's safe for you to be alone and unprotected either, Aang."

The corner of his mouth turned in a wry smile. "I can take care of myself. Besides…I have you here and you're all the protection I need, Katara."

"Somehow, I think the monks would disagree."

"The monks don't get a vote." He sighed despondently before revealing in a whisper, "They know about us, by the way. Gyatso told them. Under the circumstances, he didn't feel like he had any other choice because no one knew where I was before and there was a lot of panic going on. It was a pretty big fustercluck."

"And that's why you ran."

"The monks have taken away everything that matters to me. I won't let them take you too, Katara." His voice became a faint whisper, trembling with emotion when he said, "I love you."

There had never been any question about his feelings for her. Katara had been growing surer of them as the days passed, but hearing him say the words out loud still managed to make her heart jump into her throat. She scooted closer to him, nuzzling her nose against his and splaying her hand across his bare chest. "I love you too, Aang."

It was natural for them to kiss following that avowal, a symbolic sealing of the words they had just exchanged. But what began as small, nibbling pecks gradually increased in intensity as they shifted closer, their bodies aligning, their limbs tangling. Aang splayed his hand over Katara's hip, sliding his palm along the curving line of her body and dragging her nightshirt with it. He exposed the lower half of her body, lightly caressing the soft skin of her thighs and belly and inching his way higher. Yielding to his silent urging, Katara broke their kiss long enough to rise up and whip the shirt over her head before eagerly returning to his arms.

There was no hesitancy on Aang's part this time when he kissed and caressed her naked breasts. They had moved beyond shyness with one another. He swirled his tongue around the rigid crest of her nipple, delighting in the sounds of her pleasured moans. Katara writhed against him, turning her body into his, silently inviting him to touch her more intimately. Within the confines of his pajama bottoms, Aang throbbed painfully. The thin cotton provided very little barrier between him and her bare skin. Aang was overwhelmed with the need to touch her.

When his hand began meandering down the flat expanse of Katara's abdomen she held her breath, her body tingling with anticipation for the first moment when his fingers would breach her panties. Aang's first touch was tentative, explorative. He sifted lightly through the tight, trimmed curls before venturing lower to stroke the sensitive bud nestled between the swollen lips of her sex. Katara melted against him, her fingernails digging into his forearm as she lifted her hips in gasping appeal for him to take his exploration further.

After what seemed like eons, Aang finally slid a single digit into the snug, moist depths of her body. They both hissed with the sensation. She clenched and convulsed around his finger, rolling her hips against his hand in panting need. He added another, stretching her taut, virginal walls. Katara cried out in pleasure with each penetration, becoming slicker and slicker with each foray he made into her body. Aang sought out her nipple in hungry need, sucking the sensitive bud in tandem with each thrust of his finger. His arousal pulsed heavily, almost to the point of pain.

Katara fumbled between them to reach down into his bottoms and curl her slender fingers around his fevered length. Aang groaned, losing focus a bit as she began stroking him in quick, spasmodic jerks. "Not so hard," he whispered against her skin, "Slower…" He withdrew his hand from between her legs and shifted onto his back, curling that hand around her own to demonstrate to her the rhythm he liked. "This is how I like it…" he instructed her gently, guiding her hand in long, gliding strokes. His fingers fell away as she caught on quickly. "Yes…just like that…"

While Katara acquainted herself with the smooth contours of his erection, Aang shoved his pajama bottoms further down his hips in an effort to give her more access. But when she dared to drop a darting kiss to the bouncing tip of him, he knew he was going to lose it. Without further preamble, Aang kicked out of his pajama bottoms and then moved between her legs to remove the final barrier of fabric between them. He hooked his fingers into her panties, dragging them down over her hips and legs before tossing them aside.

And then he was pressing himself against her swollen opening, his words garbled with emotion and desire when he asked, "Are you sure?"

She jerked a nod. "I want you."

That was all the permission Aang needed. He pushed inside her, breaching the tight center of her body with hormonal enthusiasm and…it hurt and not in a good way. Katara bit her lip, trying not to cry out as he continued to thrust against her but Aang quickly became aware of how tensed she was beneath him. He looked down at her, reading the discomfort on her face.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little bit…" she confessed, feeling like the most inept woman in the world.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked with some uncertainty. He would if she asked, but he would also probably weep like a child if she did. The dutiful boyfriend in him wanted her to be comfortable. The hormonal teenager, on the other hand, felt like he was going to die.

"No…don't stop," she whispered finally. Aang sagged with relief and Katara had to bite her lip to keep from smiling over how obvious he was. "Maybe if you tried a different angle…"

After considering her suggestion for a few seconds, Aang instinctively slipped his hand beneath her bottom and lifted her hips against him so that she was closer. When he did, his erection slid into her body with surprisingly little resistance, filling her up completely. They both gasped with the unexpected sensation. Katara could feel him pulsing deep inside of her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her vaginal muscles clenching reflexively around his length and drawing him even deeper.

That was far more stimulus than Aang could take. He lost all self-control at that point. His inexperienced, sex-starved body took full command. He began rocking against her in feverish need, driving fiercely into her body with low, piercing grunts. Once…twice…and finally a third time before his orgasm took hold and he climaxed uncontrollably on the fourth thrust. He cried out her name and tucked his face into her shoulder, shuddering again and again as he emptied himself into her. It was a long time before he stopped shaking and, when he did, Aang was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally.

Once Aang found the energy to rouse himself and roll away from her, Katara continued to lay there, her body still taut with the desire he had awakened in her. He was sated but she felt like they'd only just begun. She had been building towards her orgasm, spurred on by the stimulation he'd created both inside and outside of her body and then…nothing. Suddenly, he had groaned and, within moments, he had become flaccid inside of her and on top of her as well. Without warning, something that had begun with such exciting promise was over.

As Aang scooted onto his side to regard sleepily her in the darkness, Katara tried not to look as disappointed as she felt. Yet, despite her silence, Aang was more than aware of her dissatisfaction. "Sorry…" he mumbled wearily, "I know it wasn't very good for you."

Katara shook her head to refute that, still a little dazed. "No, it just…it went so fast," she replied after a few moments, "I wasn't expecting that."

Aang winced. "I know…I don't know what happened. I thought I had it together, but then…you moved and I…I couldn't stop myself…"

Strangely pleased by his tacit admission that _she_ had made him lose control, Katara gently placed her hand against his cheek and smiled. "It's okay," she whispered, "It's not a big deal. It was enough to be with you tonight, Aang."

He groaned in self-deprecation. "Isn't that girl speak for 'you really suck in bed, but I love you, so I'll overlook it?'"

"You didn't suck," she insisted, though she ruined the avowal by giggling, "You _don't_ suck."

"Katara, come on… I know you didn't…well…you know…"

She hid her face in his shoulder before admitting in a muffled tone, "No, I didn't."

Aang bit out a soft curse. "Did it feel good to you at all?" he whispered.

"It felt really good after you lifted me up," she whispered back, "I liked how it felt when you were moving inside of me. That was great! I just wish you had lasted longer."

He groaned again, inciting another smothered giggle from Katara. "Next time…will be better…" he said around a broad yawn, "I promise. Give me half an hour to recover. I'll make it up to you."

"Just forget about it. You've had a long day and you're tired," Katara said, noting the heavy way his eyes began to droop, "Get some rest."

He was asleep within seconds. Katara waited for his breathing to become deep and even before she carefully untangled herself from his arms and slipped from the bed. After slipping her nightshirt down over her head, she hovered at the bedside for a moment, smiling a bit as she studied the tattooed lines of his nude body, twisted and partially concealed by the bed sheets. Watching him sleep, she couldn't help but throb with want for him still, especially because her desire hadn't yet been satisfied. It wasn't exactly what she had imagined for her first time.

But Katara supposed it could have been worse. She had heard plenty of lost virginity horror stories and as far as first time experiences went, it wasn't that bad. The sex hadn't been inordinately painful. As fast as it had gone, she had felt loved and cherished during the act and she had definitely _not_ felt discarded or used after. In fact, it had been ridiculously pleasurable before, during and after, especially so once Aang entered her completely. She liked how full she felt when he was inside of her and how unbelievably hot his skin had been. She liked the friction he'd created when he started to move.

The problem wasn't that it hadn't been good, but that it had ended too soon. Something hot and furious had been unfurling inside of her, something that had been threatening to explode just as he fell still. Before she could prepare herself or even understand what was happening, the flames were abruptly extinguished. And now she was all keyed up, still aching with want for him and _he_, with his head buried deep into a pillow, was blissfully and soundly asleep. Katara's brows knit together in a wry frown. As extraordinary and thoughtful as Aang was, in many ways, he remained the typical boy.

Still, despite her sexual frustration, Katara couldn't help but feel some measure of satisfaction in knowing she had left him so thoroughly spent. He was the Avatar after all, the most powerful being in their universe and she had left him trembling like newly born buffalo-lamb. Not bad for a small town girl from the South Pole who didn't even have any experience with kissing a man, let alone seducing one.

Biting back her wry smile, Katara leaned over to brush a kiss across Aang's cheek and then headed off for the bathroom for a quick shower. Once she finished washing away the remnants of her tryst with Aang, she rejoined him into the bedroom and crawled into bed next to him, completely nude. The instant the bed sagged under her weight, Aang grunted her name and hooked his arm around her waist to drag her into the warm crook of his body. After a mumbled "…love you" into the damp hair at her nape, he fell asleep once more. Katara smiled, snuggled deeper into his arms and fell asleep as well.

What seemed like a short time later, Katara found herself awakened by arousing tingles traveling down her inner thigh. She blinked her eyes open, only half processing the fact that Aang was kneeling between her open legs and placing small, biting kisses against her skin. She whispered his name and was about to drift back to sleep when she realized his kisses were beginning to descend. Katara tensed.

"Aang?" she whispered again, now fully awake. She reached down to trace the pale line of his tattoo. "What are you doing?"

"I want to make you feel good." He lifted his head then. His eyes glittered brilliantly in the dimness as he regarded her. "Can I do that, Katara?"

In her head, Katara could hear him whispering those exact same words into her ear, only from another time and place, but that didn't make them any less familiar. The memory was so distinct and clear that she could practically feel his tongue sliding across her slick folds and dipping inside her with lazy expertise. And suddenly, the prospect of him tasting her so intimately didn't seem so scary because he had done it before…because he knew what she liked.

At that point, pure instinct took over for them both. Katara relaxed back into the mattress and opened her legs wider for him in eager offering. Aang lowered his mouth to her, smiling against her heated center, nuzzling her there as well. Katara whimpered out a tiny moan. She shivered when his tongue darted over her skin, tried not to writhe too much as he reacquainted himself with the taste of her. Though he began his exploration rather tentatively, flicking her distended clitoris carefully with the tip of his tongue, Aang soon grew bold enough to draw the sensitive nub into his mouth. When he began to suck, Katara arched off the bed with a keening cry of pure pleasure.

She opened her thighs wider for him, her fingers clenching fitfully into the bed sheets. Her breath came in shallow pants as Aang licked and lapped and tasted her as deeply as he could, his tongue piercing her again and again. She could feel a pressure building low in her belly, tingling in her limbs and locking the breath in her lungs. She was racing for it, tumbling faster and faster… When Aang dared to hook a single finger inside of her, stroking her slick muscles within while his tongue flicked against her tender flesh, Katara came undone. She ground herself against him with a loud, serrated moan, her every muscle pulled tight as her orgasm ripped through her.

While the pulsing currents of her release were still rippling through her body, Aang crawled up her body and wedged himself firmly between her legs. He took her mouth in a torrid kiss at the precise moment he penetrated her as deeply as he could. The combination of tasting herself on his tongue and feeling him throb within her caused Katara to cry out. Their ragged moans of satisfaction bounced off of the walls and echoed in their ears as Aang slowly began thrusting.

He rose up on his knees, grasping hold of her hips to pull her more securely against him and then pushing her thighs further apart so that he could stroke inside of her unencumbered. Her creamy inner walls flexed and tightened around him. Aang choked out a guttural moan, his jaw clenched firmly as he struggled to maintain control and give Katara ultimate pleasure. Katara, likewise, struggled to keep her eyes open because she wanted to watch each gratified grimace that contorted his boyish features. She wanted to see the pleasure she was giving him.

Aang watched her too…her breasts jostling slightly with every lunge of her body, the sweet way she bit her lip to muffle her ecstatic cries, the eager way she lifted her hips against his… He feared that he wasn't going to last. Desperate to bring her to climax this time, Aang lowered himself against her and slipped his hand beneath her so that he could cradle her hips and better control the rapid tempo of his thrusts. But even with that, he felt like his self-control was swiftly slipping away.

He whispered her name against her cheek in an anguished plea. "Please…please…" he moaned hoarsely, "You feel too good… I can't take it…it's so good…"

Katara strained against him, trembling with need. "Not yet…Aang, don't…wait for me…" She sought his lips in a breathless kiss and that only made him groan more.

"You're so wet, Katara…" he gasped into her mouth, "I don't know if I can wait… I'm trying…"

Her breath came in desperate bursts. She gripped his buttocks, her nails digging into his firm flesh. "Aang, please…don't stop…don't…" The pressure was beginning to build inside of her. Every nerve fiber in her body felt like it was firing simultaneously. Each thrust brought her closer to the brink. Just a little bit more and she would be right there with him… Katara tightened and throbbed around him in an attempt to draw him deeper.

He buried his answering groan into her throat as the drives of his body became fitful and frenetic. "Katara…stop clenching…" he moaned, "…you're _killing_ me…" Before she could prepare herself, Aang withdrew from her suddenly in order to prevent his premature release. Katara cried out and reflexively clamped her legs around him in protest. Aang soothed her frustrated whimpers with sweet kisses. "It's okay…" he whispered, "Let me get control. I just…need a minute…"

As he spoke, he continued to roll his hips against her, his erection creating a maddening friction against her sensitive flesh. Katara moaned, surprised by the surge of pleasure the sensation gave her. She splayed her hands down the damp expanse of Aang's back, arching into him hard in an effort to increase the pressure. His breath stirred against her ear in warm, staccato beats.

"Does that feel good?"

Her throaty, drawn out, "Yes…" was an absolute turn on for him.

He pressed against her in slow, rolling strokes. "Like this?"

She jerked a nod, barely able to choke out the word, "Harder."

"Katara, tell me what you want me to do…" he urged her breathlessly, his tempo and force increasing.

"More…inside me now…" she gasped, "Please…"

He positioned himself at her moist opening and guided his erection into her quivering flesh with one, fluid thrust. Almost the instant he penetrated her, Katara came apart. Her inner muscles began to spasm around him violently, growing hotter and slicker as her climax rippled through her. The rhythmic contractions of her orgasm triggered Aang's as well and he quickly followed her over the precipice. He groaned loudly with the force of his release, curling his body into hers as he rode out the longest, most intense climax he'd ever experienced.

When he finally found the energy to move again, Aang gradually rolled his weight off of Katara and sprawled next to her in a boneless heap. They regarded one another with breathless smiles. They exchanged several drowsy kisses before shifting closer to tangle their lethargic bodies into an embrace. Aang cradled Katara against his chest, sifting his fingers through the tousled waves of her hair while she listened to the accelerated thump of his heartbeat.

"I'm going to say that was much better than last time," he laughed.

Katara pressed a contented kiss to his nipple. "Agreed."

"We should definitely keep practicing though," he teased, "Can't give up until it's perfect."

"Hmm…transparent boyfriend is transparent," she yawned.

"Can't help it. Hot girlfriend is hot," was his sleepy retort.

She laughed at his joke but sobered an instant later. "You know…we…um…we should probably use protection from now on…just to be responsible."

"Right," Aang sighed soberly, "I wasn't thinking about that before. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't just _your_ responsibility, Aang. I wasn't thinking about it either, but…now we _should_ think about it."

"I agree, but there's not a store around here for miles, Katara. And I don't know where we can get any at this hour. I doubt Iroh keeps a hidden stash." He repressed a repulsed shudder at the thought. "At least, I _hope_ he doesn't."

"Don't worry about that. I have something we can use." She tipped her head back to meet Aang's dumbfounded expression. "Don't look at me like that! They're the ones we were going to use earlier. I shoved them into my purse so that they'd be out of sight. So…now we have something to use for the next time."

A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he twirled her hair around his fingers. "Oh, so you're already planning the next time, are you?"

She buried her giggle in side. "What can I say? I'm an industrious girl."

"I'm definitely not complaining." His smile faltered a bit as another thought occurred to him. "You don't think that I might have gotten you pregnant, do you?"

Katara cuddled against him once more, her manner relaxed despite the delicate subject matter. "No. I think it will be okay," she murmured after a thoughtful moment, "Besides, we have other things we need to worry about right now." She became quiet and pensive as the reality of their situation dawned on her anew. "You know we're going to have to go back soon, don't you?" she whispered.

His fingers stilled against her hair. "I know."

He sounded so despondent at the prospect that Katara raised up on her elbow to regard him. "It doesn't have to be so terrible, Aang."

"But it is. I don't want this burden, Katara. I never asked for this. I don't want to be the Avatar."

"It doesn't matter. You are and you have to find a way to accept that or we're all going to be lost."

"I don't understand how I'm supposed to make things better," he argued, "It hasn't even been a full week since I was announced as the new Avatar and things are already getting worse."

"Maybe that's a good thing." The look he gave her clearly stated that he thought she was out of her mind. "Hear me out for a minute," she laughed softly, "Aang, we can't always be so eager to run away from the bad stuff. Maybe we shouldn't even be so eager to change it.

"When I lost my mom, I thought that it was the worst thing in the world," she revealed thickly, "I wanted to die with her because I couldn't imagine living out the rest of my life without her. But I didn't die. I went to Ba Sing Se to live with my brother…and I met you."

She leaned up to feather a kiss across his lips. "Sometimes our tragedies are what ultimately lead us to something better. Sometimes they define us in a good way. You have to stop viewing your identity as the Avatar as a curse, Aang. You have to stop running. It's time."

"And what about us?" he wondered quietly, "What if the monks try and keep us apart?"

"No one will _ever_ keep us apart, Aang."

He tangled his fingers in the rumpled strands of her hair, bringing her close to him for another soft kiss. "You're right. We'll go back. We'll leave in the afternoon after we've had some sleep."

After sharing a few drowsy kisses, they made love a third and final time that night before rolling away from each other and finally falling into a deep, exhausted slumber. Both Aang and Katara anticipated that they would sleep far into the afternoon, but when they were awakened again it was nearly an hour before dawn. Something inexplicable jostled them into awareness. Neither of them could be sure exactly what had roused them from sleep, but both were inundated with the foggy need to rise. A strange, rhythmic chanting pounded in their ears, called to them like a sweet, seductive whisper.

Aang rolled his aching body upright, only vaguely aware of Katara doing the same. Although, their eyes were open and they looked to be awake, they both moved as if in a sleepwalking haze. Without speaking or really even acknowledging one another, Aang and Katara slipped from the rumpled bed and began pulling on their discarded pajamas. The room was silent except for the low beat of drums that reverberated in their heads. Only when they were dressed did Aang and Katara finally acknowledge one another and, even then, they did not speak.

With an eerie calm, they met each other at the foot of the bed and linked hands, navigating their way through the darkened house towards the front door and eventually out onto the moonlit beach. The chanting continued to break over the rolling hush of the ocean. Just off the coast, barely visible and surrounded by the foamy sea, the mysterious silhouette of an island could be seen in the moonlit distance. Neither Aang nor Katara could recall seeing it there when they arrived, but its sudden appearance didn't seem to matter to them at all. They knew that they were headed there regardless.

As they drifted towards the crashing waves, they were impervious to the bitter chill or the cold grains of sand spilling over their bare toes. Nothing existed for them except the journey that lay ahead. The island was beckoning them forth and they had to answer. It had been waiting long enough.

With their hands still linked, Aang and Katara stepped into the frigid waters together and began to swim…

* * *

**A/N: I'll post the final part tomorrow morning and then this puppy will be finished. Hopefully, all questions will be answered then. Thanks for reading, everyone. And thank you, Kataang Caps, for spawning this idea in the first place.**


	10. Homecoming

**Homecoming**

When Aang opened his eyes, he expected to find Katara tangled around him. But instead of being buried beneath rumpled, crimson colored sheets with a naked Katara draped across his chest, Aang discovered that he wasn't in a bedroom at all. In actuality, he was outside in what appeared to be a very dense forest, surrounded by towering trees and lush greenery. He frowned, disoriented and confused by the finding. Two pertinent questions sprang to his mind: where was he and how had he gotten there?

Further alarming was the realization that Katara was nowhere to be found. His last distinct memory was falling asleep with her in his arms and now he was in the middle of a strange forest all alone. He called out for her, his breath suspended as he waited for her to answer. His confusion escalated to heart-pounding panic when he didn't receive an answer. Aang swiftly floated to his feet, prepared to comb every inch of his wooded surroundings until he found her.

As he thrashed his way through clusters of trees and called out for her, Aang vaguely recalled rising with Katara in the early morning hours. They had dragged themselves from the bed for something important, but what that something was flirted just on the edges of his consciousness. The answer was there, but it would not come to him readily at all.

With his search becoming more frantic, Aang wracked his brain for the missing pieces and a clue that would help him find Katara. He kept screaming her name, his voice echoing out over the treetops but his efforts were met with resounding silence. He started to backtrack the way he came, hoping that perhaps he had missed her somehow, when he abruptly became aware of his clothing.

Something was _definitely_ wrong. Gone were the checkered pajama bottoms that he'd originally worn to bed and in the place of the comfortable cotton was a traditional monk's robe that he didn't immediately recognize. The fabric felt familiar butt the cut of the robe was foreign to him. He had a brief thought that someone had stolen his clothes, but then that didn't explain why he was dressed the way he was. Aang leaned into the sturdy bark of the nearest tree, trying to recall when he had changed clothes and why.

As the craziness of his circumstances mounted, his alarm exploded to exponential heights. Katara was missing. He was wearing weird clothes. He was in a strange place and he had no idea how he had come to be there. Everything was nuts! So, either something truly freaky had happened the previous night or he was starting to lose it!

Aang lifted a shaking hand to his mouth, intending to drag it down the length of his chin only to freeze completely at what he found there. Apparently, his clothing wasn't the only thing that had changed overnight. _He had a freaking beard!_ Aang patted down his cheeks in stunned disbelief. He sifted his fingers through the coarse growth of hair, totally unable to process its presence. And it was not a fine growth of overnight stubble either! He had a full-grown beard!

Immediately, Aang began rooting around for a water source, something that would allow him to view his reflection and that's when he saw it in the far distance…the looming stone effigy of him as a thirteen year old boy, one leg thrust forward in a steadfast pose and his staff in hand. Immediately upon seeing the statue something jarred within Aang and brought with it a ringing clarity. Suddenly, he knew exactly where he was: Republic City. Then, it all came flooding back to him in a punishing rush. Not just the five days he had spent with Katara, but everything that had preceded them as well. After what seemed like thousands of years, he had finally returned home.

In a bounding burst of lucidity, Aang began to fit the pieces of his jagged memory together. He wasn't the sixteen year old unrealized Avatar that had recently lost his virginity to his girlfriend. Nor was he a 112 year old man, battling unrequited love for a fourteen year old girl. Instead, he was a thirty-four year old father of three and married man. Yet, it was still difficult for him to separate the three realities, particularly because all three felt inherently familiar to him. The situation left Aang feeling very shaken, confused and frightened. He couldn't be sure which version of his life was real. At that moment, he didn't know who he was or where he belonged.

Yet, before he gave into the impulse to flip out completely, Aang methodically considered the facts. A quick glance at the back of his hands revealed the firm, youthful skin of a man in the prime of his life, not an ailing, elderly man of 112 years. It was impossible for the morbid memories he held from that reality to be true. There was also a maturity to his frame that belied the idea that he was a sixteen year old boy as well. Truly, there was no way he had grown a beard overnight, so the crazy, futuristic reality couldn't be true either. That left the last set of memories and the ones that made the most sense…that he had married Katara and he'd made babies with her and, ultimately, he'd left her alone.

Aang expelled a low, self-deprecating groan. The last thing he remembered was saying goodbye to her just outside of their house on Air Temple Island. She'd been crying and he had been trying very hard not to cry. Katara had been filled with doubts that morning about his journey, but Aang was convinced she was merely having a case of the last minute jitters. Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to leave her anymore than she had wanted him to leave, but Aang had truly believed he was acting in the interests of the greater good. He believed he was going to make their world better.

After that, he and Appa set a course for the Fire Nation because he had wanted to return to Ember Island in hopes of finding the lion turtle again. With Zuko's permission, he had resided at the beach house that had once served as the royal family's vacation home. In the ensuing days, he spent hours meditating on the beach, waiting patiently for the lion turtle to come to him and, eventually…he had. Aang remembered the rush of energy that flooded his body when he accessed the avatar spirit and then…nothing.

His memories then segued oddly into his childhood again. He was living at the Southern Air Temple as a twelve-year-old boy and living in a world where the threat of the comet loomed. Only, he didn't run away and the genocide of his beloved people never happened. He had saved Gyatso. He met a different Katara and made friends he never would have imagined making. He had saved the world. He had changed his entire future and the futures of those he loved most…and he had lost Katara in the process.

That hadn't been what he'd wanted at all. He could still feel the visceral, aching pain of wanting her, being close enough to touch her and yet unable to touch her at all. Following his death in that painful reality, Aang's life seemed to begin again, this time unfolding at age 16. He had met Katara in that reality as well, literally mowed right over her, but in that time they had been together. The relationship had progressed at lightning speed and they were only in a relationship for a short while. It didn't take him long at all to fall in love with her. And, in the end, it was that love for her that ultimately brought him back to himself. Katara had been the catalyst needed to jar him back into the present. Perhaps, that was the reason he had failed to do so the first time around…

Still pondering the matter, Aang glanced out at the statue of himself and realized with a sharp breath that he was closer to it now than he had been before. The stony tribute was coming closer to him or else… Belatedly, it hit Aang that _he_ was moving. More specifically, the island upon which he stood was moving! His heart thumping with the possibility, he quickly darted through the trees and ran towards the edge of the forest in order to confirm his suspicions. When he reached the cliff side and saw the swirling waves down below, Aang had his answers.

He dove from the precipice into the sea in a fluid arc, bending himself around towards the front of the "island" so that he could see the lion turtle's face. Until that instant, he had only had his strong suspicions and convictions, but it was only upon seeing the lion turtle himself that Aang realized, despite all his very vivid and bizarre memories, he had never left the turtle's forest-like shell at all. As real as it felt, all that he'd seen had only transpired in his mind. He also knew instinctively that the lion turtle had been the source of everything he had seen and experienced, though he didn't know what its motivation had been.

Unfortunately, confirming his location only opened an entirely new slew of questions. How had he gotten there? How long had he been there? Where was Appa? Why was the lion turtle taking him home? It was all eerily reminiscent of how he had felt when he first came out of the iceberg. He had been expecting one set of circumstances, only to awaken to a different reality altogether. Once again, he had figuratively fallen asleep and his world had changed during his slumber. Growing even more agitated, Aang quickly resurfaced and hoisted himself up onto the turtle's back once more and waited as patiently as he could for the giant creature to deliver him home.

As Air Temple Island rapidly came into view, Aang continued to obsess over how long he had been on the lion turtle's back. For him, it seemed as if thousands of years had gone past. In one reality, he had lived for one hundred years and had accumulated a century's worth of memories. In another, he had been a teenager in a futuristic world full of fancy gadgets and fast machinery. He had no idea how that translated into reality. He was almost afraid to find out. Understandably then, by the time the lion turtle reached the island, Aang was literally trembling with trepidation.

He almost hesitated to leave the turtle's back because he was so afraid of what he might find on the other side. But then Aang checked his fear and shoved it into the lowest depths of his heart. He had run from adversity too many times in his life, if not physically then emotionally. He was determined not to do it this time. Whatever waited for him out there, he would face it and he would deal with it. What other choice did he have?

On severely shaking legs, Aang stepped off the turtle's shell and onto the island that had been his home for the better part of fifteen years. At first glance, the island seemed remarkably unchanged. He recognized several landmarks and there was no denying the feeling of relief he had being back there again. On the surface, everything seemed the same as when he left. Aang, on the other hand, felt profoundly changed.

Weighted down by that profound realization, Aang finally turned to face the age old lion turtle. When he did, he could only think to ask one question. "Why?"

"Even a pure heart must be refined," the turtle rumbled, "Some gifts reveal themselves when we are still."

Aang shut his eyes with a wry grunt. "If I was asking for the impossible, you could have simply told me 'no.'"

"Eyes alone do not see. The heart too can be blinded."

"And so you decided to open the eyes of my heart? Is that it?"

"You have much wisdom, my friend, but you are young still."

Aang accepted that statement that with a terse nod, rightly assuming that the turtle was telling him that he didn't know everything he thought he did. "How long have I been here with you, lion turtle?"

"I have lived for centuries of time," the turtle said, "Only a short while, in my estimation."

"What about in _my_ estimation?" Aang wondered warily.

"If one is to acquire wisdom, one must also know loss. The pursuit of knowledge demands sacrifice."

Those cryptic words filled Aang with a heavy sense of dread, but he hesitated to press the turtle on what that particular loss was. Instead, he asked, "Have I sacrificed to be here with you? Is that why you gave me the five days with her?"

"In the vision you were given, you did not fully understand until the end. _That_ was the final lesson. Your love for Katara is what sustains you. It is the ultimate source of peace. Embrace that always and the past will not matter. Only the future can be reshaped."

"Thank you for helping me see the error in my thinking," Aang whispered. He was surprised to discover that he genuinely meant it too. Despite the uncertainty that presently surrounded him, Aang was grateful that the lion turtle had enabled him to do what he had struggled with for years…to let go of the past. "What do I do now?"

"Find her," the lion turtle murmured as he sank back into the depths, "and make it right."

Aang released a shuddering breath. It was, at least, tacit confirmation that Katara was still alive. Presently, that had to be enough for him. He couldn't make himself crazy with what ifs because that would only impede his determination to move forward. What ultimately mattered was the prospect of seeing Katara and his children again. Aang's heart contracted painfully when he thought of Kya, Bumi and Tenzin. In both realities he had experienced, they had been absent. And now that he knew where he was, who he was and where he was going, Aang realized that he missed them to the point of aching. Of all the things he had endured on his spiritual journey, the joys of fatherhood were the things he had missed the most.

Filled with renewed motivation to get back to them and his life, Aang squared his shoulders and began trudging the well worn path toward the main house. As he walked along, he carefully studied his environment, searching for any dramatic changes that might have taken place, but everything looked exactly as he remembered it. He navigated his way towards the temple with very few problems. When the white-washed spire came into view, he actually expelled a relieved sigh to see it…home at last.

Unfortunately, that relief was short-lived. He heard their shouts of laughter long before he saw them. As Aang stepped around the edge of the temple courtyard, he was greeted with bustling activity. The open area was scattered with sky bison and the air acolytes who were grooming them. Aang readily recognized the bison, but a few of the air acolyte faces were unfamiliar to him and that caused him some anxiety. Everyone was so busy conversing with one another, tending to the shedding bison and collecting the bundles of their fallen fur that they didn't immediately notice the lone airbender standing on the edge of the courtyard.

Aang was content to go unnoticed because, at that precise moment, he spotted Appa. His beloved sky bison was safe and alive and huddled lovingly with his own family. The sight caused tears of happiness to well up in Aang's eyes. He swiftly began to cross the distance to get to Appa, impervious to the rippling stir he caused as he did so, when Katara and his children suddenly came into view as well. At that point, Aang's steps faltered and he forgot to breathe.

Any hope he had that he hadn't lost years during his time on the turtle's back was ground into dust. His daughter Kya, who had still been a little girl in his estimation when he left, was very clearly a woman now. She had grown taller and thinner and was very much the image of her mother, except for when she was laughing. As Kya giggled and hopped playfully out from underneath Appa's determined tongue, Aang could clearly see himself in her. She was so beautiful that Aang found his throat aching just to look at her. In those few seconds, he lamented every milestone he had missed.

The growth that had taken place in his sons was equally painful. Tenzin and Bumi, who had been four and nine the last time he had seen them, were clearly older as well. Bumi looked to be nearing his teenage years, if he wasn't there already. Only his wild, unruly hair and jaunty smile remained the same. Tenzin, on the other hand, Aang barely recognized at all. His height had doubled and all the baby fat had melted from his cheeks. In fact, Aang might not have even realized the boy as his son had Tenzin not airbended his brother, who was teasing him mercilessly, across the courtyard.

Katara was the one person who appeared unaffected by time. She was as lovely to Aang now as she had been the first time he'd laid eyes on her. Her long, dark hair was tied in an untidy bun at the base of her neck, but her signature hair loopies remained in place. She turned slightly and, at that precise moment, her profile was bathed in golden sunlight, flooding Aang with the simultaneous feelings of peace and pain. He regarded her with avid eyes as she efficiently split her attention between scolding their boys, demanding Kya's help and grooming one of the younger bison.

She was so preoccupied with maintaining order that Katara didn't immediately notice the gradual hush that began falling over everyone, but Kya did. Curious as to the reason why people were suddenly leaving off in their work and standing still in dumbfounded amazement, Kya stopped her antics with Appa long enough to investigate. He stood in the center of the speechless crowd, staring directly at them. Kya's clear gray eyes widened in disbelief when she saw him standing there, looking exactly as she remembered him…as if three and a half years had not passed since he'd disappeared.

"_Dad?_" she uttered in a trembling voice, "Dad, is that you?"

Stunned by the question, as well as Kya's stricken expression, Katara lurched around…and immediately burst into tears. Her hand fluttered to her jumping throat. "Aang?"

Aang wasn't sure that he would be able to find his voice to speak and, when he did, the words came out in a garbled jumble. "Hello, Katara…it's been a long time," he whispered hoarsely, "I've missed you."

The words propelled Katara into action. One moment, she was standing frozen along with everyone else present and the next she was flinging herself into Aang's open arms with grateful tears. She held him against her firmly, only to briefly rear back to pat her hands down his face and chest, as if reassuring herself that he was real, before yanking him back against her again.

"Where have you been, huh?" she choked brokenly into his robes, "_Where have you been?_"

"It's a long story," he whispered, "I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you." He met his children's stunned expressions over their mother's shoulder and beckoned them forward with spilling tears. "I wouldn't mind getting a hug from you guys too."

That was all the invitation Kya and Bumi needed to come running. Katara shifted in Aang's arms so that her son and daughter could tackle their father in a sobbing embrace. Aang gripped the three of them tightly. He was almost afraid that he was still on the lion turtle and that this moment was yet another vision. What made it real was Tenzin's reluctance to join them. The little boy watched them warily, as if he was unsure of what he should do next.

Aang crooked a hand at him. "It's okay, Tenzin," he whispered, "Don't you remember me?" The seven year old nodded slowly. A relieved smile trembled on Aang's lips. "Aren't you going to come over here and give me a hug then?"

"Are you going to go away again?" Tenzin whispered timidly. Of the three children, he was the only one who had the courage to ask the question out loud.

"No, Tenzin," Aang whispered back softly, "I'm not going to go away again."

Tenzin exchanged a look with his siblings in an unspoken request for their approval. When they both nodded, he went running into his father's arms with a glad cry. A thick knot of emotion formed in Aang's throat as he held them all again. He was filled with a pervasive sense of peace and well-being, something that he hadn't felt for a very long time. Aang recognized the feeling instantly. It was the awareness that he was finally and truly _home_.

He pressed enthusiastic kisses to each of the four faces surrounding him. "You have no idea how much I've missed you all." At that precise moment, Appa lumbered up from behind and greeted Aang with a great, slobbery lick of his tongue. While his family groaned in laughing disgust, Aang merely smiled broadly and rose to nuzzle his old friend. "It's good to see you again too, buddy."

Bumi tugged on the edge of his robe, reclaiming his attention. "Where did you go, Dad?" the twelve year-old asked, "Mom said that you were going to find some giant turtle and that you wouldn't be gone that long."

Aang ruffled Bumi's hair with a rueful smile. "It's a long story."

"We have time," his wife and daughter said simultaneously.

Before Aang could begin to explain to them what he had experienced, the acolytes began making their approach to officially welcome him home. He had brief reunions with those who were familiar to him and brief introductions to those who weren't. Aang patiently greeted each one, taking the time to talk with them and reassure them even though his heart was crying out to be with his family. Although it took nearly an hour, the excitement eventually died down and Katara was able to dispatch an acolyte to take the news of Aang's return to Toph and her brother. After that, she and the children took Aang back to the house.

There had been a few changes to the interior in his absence but nothing especially dramatic. He still recognized the place as his home. Yet, even if it _had_ been completely transformed and unrecognizable to him, Aang likely wouldn't have given it much attention anyway. He couldn't quite divert his fascinated attention away from his family. And they, in turn, couldn't divert their fascinated attention away from him.

Aang surveyed his children with a confounded glance, his bouncing stare eventually coming to rest on his eldest. "I can't get over how different you look," he murmured, "You're a woman now."

Kya trilled a self-conscious laugh. "I can't help it, Dad. I am seventeen now."

"_Seventeen._ I can't believe you're seventeen." His smile became bittersweet. "I've missed a lot, haven't I?"

"Just a crush or two," Kya replied lightly, "Nothing special."

"It would have been special to me," Aang murmured. He turned to regard Bumi then, unable to get over how much physical growth he had undergone in three and a half years. "What about you?" Aang asked him, "Any crushes or girlfriends I should know about?"

"Girlfriends?" Bumi balked, "Dad, don't make me hurl. Girls are dumb and annoying! Pass!"

His parents traded a smiling glance over his revolted vehemence. "I guess not much has changed on that front then," he chuckled wryly.

"Oh, the girls are interested," Katara laughed, "but your son is _not_…for now anyway."

"Forever," Bumi declared succinctly.

Still laughing, Aang knelt down before Tenzin so that he was at eye level with the seven year old. "So what's going on with you? What have you been doing besides doubling in size while I've been gone?" Tenzin smiled, revealing two missing spaces where his top primary teeth used to be. He looked so adorable right then, doing his half smile, half grimace, that Aang felt tears fill his eyes. He caressed his son's cheek with his index finger. "When did this happen?"

A snickering Bumi was only too glad to provide the answer. "He face planted about three months ago trying to modify your air scooter."

After directing a withering glare at his brother, Tenzin revealed in a whisper, "I made it bigger, Daddy. Now more than one person can ride it. We can ride it together."

"Really?" This time Aang couldn't staunch his flow of tears. He pulled Tenzin into his arms and tucked him close. "Maybe you can show me how to do that sometime." He lifted his anguished gaze and met Katara's over the top of Tenzin's head. "I'm so sorry," he mouthed to her regretfully.

"Aang, it's okay," Katara whispered. She leaned over to cup his face in her hands and then placed a gentle kiss against his mouth. "You're home. That's all I care about."

He nodded his acceptance of that and they kissed again, longer than the first time. That kiss was followed by another and then another and then yet another, each one gradually growing in intensity and length until Kya finally cleared her throat loudly. Her parents turned a sheepish glance towards her.

"Not to break up your emotional reunion or anything, but…" Kya nodded meaningfully towards Tenzin, who was grinning at them like a fool and then towards Bumi, who was writhing around on the floor in adolescent disgust. Kya shifted her amused eyes back to her parents. "Please…not in front of the children."

"I'm surprised you're not having some sort of reaction, Kya," Katara teased her.

Kya flipped her hand dismissively. "Please, Mother. I'm a woman now. I'm evolved and sophisticated. Besides, I've been much more laid back about that kind of stuff since I've kissed a few boys myself."

"_You did what?_" both of her parents exploded simultaneously.

"Kidding," Kya laughed, "I'm kidding. You should have seen your faces!"

Katara shook her head in restrained amusement but Aang continued to grumble. "That's not funny, Kya."

"Oh, come on, Dad. It was hilarious and you know it. Besides, I can't help myself. I am an incurable prankster." Her words trembled with unshed tears as she added softly, "I get that from my father."

Aang couldn't help it. He stepped over to give her yet another hug, along with Bumi, Tenzin and Katara. The five of them were still clinging to each other when Sokka, Suki and Toph arrived. After that, the living area exploded with emotion all over again.

Toph was the first to recover from the shock of Aang's presence. She broke the ice by saying something typically Toph-like. "You're three years, six months and thirteen days late for work. If that's not grounds for firing, I don't know what is, Twinkle Toes."

He yanked her into his arms for a brief but firm hug. "It's good to see you again, Toph."

"It's good to have you back," she whispered, "I was beginning to wonder if we ever would."

Next in line for reunion embraces were Sokka and Suki. The three quietly reacquainted themselves with one another while Katara looked on with shimmering eyes. Sokka clapped him heartily on the back. "Welcome home, buddy!" he boomed.

"Thanks, Sokka."

"Where have you been this whole time anyway?" the Water Tribe warrior demanded, "We practically scoured all four corners of the world searching for you and that turtle!"

"It was like when you disappeared before the comet," Suki added, "We were really worried about you, Aang."

"I didn't mean to worry you," he murmured contritely, "And I never meant to be gone as long as I was. It was a crazy, convoluted journey like you wouldn't believe."

Suki made herself comfortable in the nearest chair. "That's okay," she reassured him, "Start from the beginning…"

Six hours later, Aang had not only recounted the entire tale of his experiences in the alternate realities, but he had also answered every conceivable question his friends could ask, caught up with all the world issues and the specifics of what he had missed in his absence _and _learned Republic City's latest bits of gossip. By the time it was over, he was drooping with exhaustion and Katara was dropping some not so subtle hints for their guests to leave. When subtlety failed to do the trick, she decided to go with the direct approach.

"You guys need to leave," she announced remorselessly, "Aang and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Toph smirked, retorting in a sing-song tone as she passed Katara on her way to the exit, "Someone's getting laid…"

Sokka gagged. "Yeah…I didn't need to know that, Toph."

"Neither did I," Kya agreed with a mock shudder, "Thanks for that, Aunt Toph."

The blind earthbender shrugged laconically. "I do what I can, kiddo."

"Get out of here," Katara ordered them laughingly.

Suki graciously helped to usher Sokka and Toph through the door and then added in a low tone to Katara, "You were right all along." The two women shared a soft smile of understanding before Katara closed the door behind her.

After the guests were gone, Kya volunteered to get her brothers prepared for bed. She responded to her parents' surprise with a single, dry reply. "Just try not to scar us for life tonight when you have your…um…moments." She skipped over to peck her chuckling father on his cheek. "Night, Dad. See you in the morning."

Bumi and Tenzin bid him goodnight as well, but Bumi hesitated to follow after his brother and sister. He turned back to regard Aang with an uncertain glance. "You promise you'll be here when I wake up tomorrow, won't you, Dad?" he entreated.

For another countless time that day Aang had tears come to his eyes. "I'll be here. I promise."

A wide smile split across his son's face. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too," Aang whispered, "I love you all." He watched the three of them leave, unaware of the expression of utter devastation on his face as he did so.

"Don't do that," Katara told him softly.

He cut a sharp glance towards her. "Do what?"

"Blame yourself. Hate yourself."

Aang resisted her efforts to comfort him. "The kids are…they seem like…" He swallowed down his rising sob. "I didn't even recognize Tenzin at first, Katara."

"That's understandable. He was four years old the last time you saw him."

"And Kya and Bumi… Bumi is nearly a teenager and Kya…" He blew out a dazed sigh. "Our daughter is a woman now."

"I know."

"I've missed being a part of their lives. I abandoned my family."

"That's not what you did, Aang," Katara denied fiercely, "You went away _for_ your family. Besides, I always knew that you would come back home. The only thing I didn't know was _when_."

"I can't believe it's been three and a half years."

Katara expelled a humorless laugh. "I certainly can't tell by looking at you. You look exactly the way you did when you left here three years ago."

His eyes darkened appreciatively as he regarded her. "And you've grown more beautiful."

"No, I've aged," she pointed out wryly, "and you haven't."

"You've suffered," Aang concluded in a quiet tone, "And that is entirely _my_ fault."

"Aang, please don't blame yourself."

"Why shouldn't I blame myself?" he argued, "You've had to raise the children on your own all this time, Katara." He dropped his head forward with a despondent grunt. "I don't know how you can even look at me."

"Maybe because it was a decision we made _together_," she pointed out tartly, "I'm not going to just shove it all back on you because it went wrong!"

"But I don't even have anything to show for it! I went to change the world and I changed nothing! I disappeared. The world needed me here. The children needed me. _You_ needed me!"

"And you needed to find some peace," she countered softly, "Did you, Aang? Did you find it?"

His expression softened into a mask of vulnerability as he drew her forward into his arms. "The only peace I've ever truly known in my life is when I'm with you."

"Then let's not spend any more time on regrets," she whispered, "It's over. It's past and we're here now." She took hold of his hand and began leading him towards their bedroom. "Let me give you a proper welcome home, Aang…"

He was surprised by how nervous he felt once they were alone. In some ways, Aang felt as if he and Katara had been together the entire time because she had remained a force with him during his mental journeys. He had fought with her and alongside her. He had watched her grow up. He had even become friends with her and, eventually, become intimate with her. She had remained a dynamic force in his life all that time. In other ways, however, he felt as if he hadn't seen or touched her in eons and it was very similar to the feeling he'd experienced when suffering with longing for her for 100 years.

Still, the familiarity was there. The idea of making love to her was still very fresh in his mind. He was more than ready to be intimate with her again. For him, the time separation between them was there…and it wasn't there. But Aang didn't know if Katara's perception was different. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt a bit awkward about the entire thing.

Of course, if she did, she did a very good job of concealing it. She drew him into their bedroom and shut the door behind them with an expression that was filled with anticipation. She seemed just as eager to be with him as he was to be with her. But it _had_ been more than three years for her. While he had been on an extended fantasy trip, she had been dealing with the day to day of raising their family and holding together a world without an Avatar. Aang wouldn't blame her if she resented him after all of that, even if it was only a little bit. He certainly didn't want to make love to her until such a serious matter was addressed between them first.

"You know, Katara…" Aang began slowly as she crossed the bedroom to join him, "…if you're angry with me, it's completely understandable. You can say so."

"Why would I be angry with you for a decision we made together, Aang?" she reasoned.

"It was never part of the plan for me to be gone three and a half years."

Her steps faltered. "You're right."

"And I haven't forgotten that you didn't want me to go."

"You're right about that too," Katara acknowledged with a heavy sigh, "I didn't want you to go and I'm not going to lie and say I didn't go through periods when I was really mad at you, Aang. But today, when I turned around in the courtyard and saw you standing there, none of it mattered anymore. I'm just…" She broke off to swallow the sob rising in her throat. "I'm glad you're home again."

"I'm glad to be home."

"It sounds like you had some crazy adventure while you were away. I haven't quite wrapped my mind around all the strange devices you mentioned or how they're supposed to work. Seems a bit farfetched, don't you think?"

"It does," Aang agreed, "But I can't help but be intrigued by the idea of talking to someone even though you're not face to face with them or even in the same room. Not to mention moving around in a motor powered apparatus that's actually faster than a flying bison. It makes me wonder if all the things I saw and experienced are actually possible."

Katara shrugged. "Anything is possible, I suppose." She favored him with a loving smile. "Just look at you."

Unfortunately, Aang felt completely unworthy of that smile. Somehow, her lack of resentment and anger towards him only increased his feelings of guilt. "Katara, I'm so sorry I put you through all of this," he mumbled penitently.

"I don't blame you for what happened or for staying away so long. It wasn't your choice. I blame that lion turtle and his need to…to teach you a lesson. I blame _him_ for keeping you from us!"

Aang shook his head. "Katara, that's not how it was. I don't think it was his intention to keep me at all," he whispered, "I think he's the reason that I never forgot my life here with you no matter where I went in my journey, even if I didn't always understand what I was seeing or feeling. I was supposed to come back much sooner than I did but, something went awry and the lion turtle couldn't reach me again."

"Why do you think that was?"

"After I ended the war in that first timeline, I couldn't leave…not when the world needed me so much. I think that's when everything went off track."

"That makes sense," she murmured wryly, "This _would_ happen because of you and your unquenchable need to save the world."

Encouraged by the teasing in her tone, Aang closed the gap of space between them in slow, deliberate steps. "I think my unquenchable need for _you_ won out in the end."

Katara slipped into the circle of his arms, flattening her hands against his chest. "I'm very glad it did."

He lifted his hand to brush her loopies back from her forehead before he began removing the pins from her hair to loosen it and tossing each one carelessly over his shoulder once he had. Katara made a face at him that quickly turned into bubbles of laughter when he bobbed his eyebrows at her with a complete lack of contrition. Before he leaned forward to take her lips in the kiss they both were dying for, Aang whispered, "Are you sure you're not angry with me, Katara?"

She stepped back from him then and deftly unfastened the hooks holding her tunic in place before slipping it from her shoulders and letting it drop the floor. She stood before him in only her white bindings, loosened hair and dark, blue leggings. She went a step further by taking hold of his hand and bringing it to her breast, in a silent invitation to caress her.

"Does it seem to you like I'm angry?" she challenged softly. The moment was so inherently familiar, so very _Katara_ that Aang had to bite back a smile. She noticed the glimmer in his gray eyes almost immediately. "What's so funny, Airbender?"

"Nothing. I've just always admired your 'take charge' attitude, that's all."

"Have you now?" Katara purred, drawing him closer.

"Very much so…"

"Well then…" she murmured, rising on her toes against him, "…you should show me how much…" Aang's teasing retort was muffled and forgotten as Katara covered his lips with her own.

Their kiss was unhurried and thorough, a languid exchange of breath and exploration of each other's mouths. It had been so long since they had the luxury of kissing one another so intimately and both Aang and Katara were content to savor the taste of each other. After waiting for so long, there was no need to hurry.

Aang tenderly unwrapped Katara's linen bindings and nipped tenderly at each swathe of skin he exposed. He began with her shoulders and then sank lower to nibble across her collarbone, and then lower still to bathe her turgid nipples with his tongue. He took his time kissing and caressing her, studiously reacquainting himself with every freckle and mole and earthy hue of her perfectly smooth skin.

Katara trembled as he sank down on his knees before her, his lips creating a burning trail down the center of her belly. She cradled his head and shoulders loosely as he pressed a tender kiss to each of her hip bones before he began peeling her leggings down over her hips and past her thighs. When she was free of them completely, he tossed them over his shoulder in the same manner he had used with her hairpins. Katara's wry smile of consternation soon became a shuddering moan when he nuzzled her through the thin material of her underwear and then removed that as well.

He palmed her naked center, nuzzled his nose against the swollen lips of her sex, and touched his tongue to the sensitive nub hidden between them. And just when Katara thought her knees would give out from the pleasure he was giving her, he began kissing his way up her body again and sealed his mouth to hers once more.

Then it was Katara's turn to undress him. She eagerly freed him from his layered robes, laying the removed articles of clothing carefully across the foot of their bed rather than tossing them to the floor. Aang had to swallow back a laugh as he watched her, recalling just how much it had amused him when she would trail after him in their bedroom, scolding him for not being tidier. He had missed that so much. He had missed _her_.

All of that longing manifested itself in a moan of pleasure when Katara came back into his arms and began to skim her hands over the bare skin of his chest. She pressed light, airy kisses to his breastbone, nuzzling her way towards his nipple. She kissed him there much the way he kissed her, with a facile flicking of her tongue and an insistent sucking that he hadn't expected to gratify him as much as it did. He shivered in delight as she showered the same attention on the other nipple before nibbling her way lower as well.

His dexterous fingers bunched loosely in her dark hair as she dropped hot, open-mouthed kisses all across his belly. Aang's breath became ragged and rapid, his erection leaping and his body tensing with anticipation for where she would go next. Very aware of the slight rigidity in his limbs, Katara tipped back her head to favor him with a teasing smile before she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his trousers and pulled them down so that his arousal bounced free.

Aang's eyes sank closed when he felt her warm breath waft across his sensitive skin, but he gasped aloud when she touched her lips to the tip of him. She kissed him tenderly, her tongue darting into the groove there to collect the pearls of moisture that had formed. And then, she slowly and carefully drew him into her mouth and began to suck and Aang was pretty sure he was going to die on the spot. He made a series of garbled sounds that were wholly unintelligible as Katara applied firm, but gentle pressure to his aching arousal. Aang watched as he disappeared into the moist cavern of her mouth again and again and he knew he had to stop her, otherwise it was going to end before it even started.

He gave a light tug to her hair and urged her back up his body so that he could seek her lips in a ravenous kiss. With blind, stumbling steps, they made their way towards the bed, their tongues touching, their fingers nimbly seeking out whatever naked flesh they could find and their limbs twisting in order to provide access. Aang palmed Katara's wet center, stretching one finger and then two up into the slick cavity to stroke her. By the time they tumbled into bed together, grasping and gasping with need, the time for foreplay had come and gone.

Katara deftly flipped Aang onto his back and moved to straddle over him, trapping his pulsing sex between her own and his belly. Her blue eyes glinting with mischief and beautiful self-confidence, Katara loosely swept up Aang's arms and pinned them over his head at the wrists. Aang grinned up at her in approval.

"This is new," he whispered, referring to the bondage tactics, "Are you going to tie me up?"

She ground against him, slowly gliding along the length of his pulsing erection. "Do you want to be tied up?" she teased. Aang tried to answer, but his response was little more than a fitful moan of pleasure. Katara meticulously scrutinized his face for every ecstatic grimace. "You know when you were gone…" she recounted breathlessly without ever breaking her rhythm, "…I used to imagine what I would do when you came home…how I would welcome you back…"

Only when she was literally aching with need for him did Katara angle herself forward so that the tip of his arousal was poised at her moist opening. "Sometimes, I imagined that I would cry and just run into your arms and hold you," she went on, slowly pushing back against him so that he breeched her body in excruciating inches. Aang hissed, straining against her, yearning to touch her, but Katara retained pressure on his wrists. "And other times…" she continued, sinking back further and further, "…I would imagine kissing you breathless…"

Katara impaled herself on his fully then, eliciting a gratified groan from Aang. She began to rock over him in a lazy, rolling rhythm. "But then, other times…"

His lashes fluttered up when she trailed off into gasping silence. "Other times?"

She smiled down at him, trying to maintain her concentration as she steadily increased the tempo of her movements. "Other times, I imagined throwing you down and having my way with you…"

At that point, Katara loosened her grip on his wrists. She slid her hands up over his palms and Aang locked his fingers with hers, angling up to meet her in greedy strokes. "That third thing…" he gasped as they quickened together, "…you should definitely do that third thing…"

After that, there was no more talking between them, only muffled moans and smothered cries. Katara kept Aang's hands pinned to the bed while she rode him hard and fast. The bedsprings jostled with the force of their coupling. Their skin began to glisten with exertion. They twisted together, undulating, pumping, gyrating and writhing with building need until Katara tensed with the onset of her orgasm. She threw back her head with a silent cry, her vaginal muscles contracting around Aang with such force and violence that she milked his climax from him in an explosive burst.

When it was over, Katara collapsed limply across Aang's damp chest and smiled into his skin. "Wow…I really missed that."

He brushed a lethargic kiss across the top of her head. "Me too."

"I've missed lying here with you this way and snuggling with you," she continued around a yawn, "And I've especially missed that little sound you make."

Aang angled a quizzical look around at her. "What sound?"

Katara giggled at his tone and lifted her head to regard him. "There's this sound…this sweet, little whimpering sound that you make whenever you're about to co—,"

"—I do not make a whimpering sound," Aang interrupted in a thoroughly affronted tone, "That's absurd."

"What's absurd about it?" she teased, "I happen to think it's the cutest sound in the world."

He pinched her butt in warning. Katara squealed with laughter. Aang shot her a quelling look. "You'd better watch it," he threatened direly. "I'd hate to have to tickle you into submission."

"I didn't say it was a bad sound," she giggled, writhing away from his questing fingers. And then she sobered a bit, looking down at him with unconcealed love swimming in the blue depths of her eyes. "I love that sound. I can feel how much you want me right then, Aang, and it's amazing. I don't think I've ever felt more powerful or more humble at the same time."

Aang hugged her tightly and sought her lips in a languid kiss, his body beginning to stir within her with renewed desire. "I love you, Katara," he murmured against her mouth, "I've never loved anyone the way I love you and I never will."

She cradled his face in her hands. "I feel the same way about you," she whispered as he started to shift their positions, "I'm pretty sure that loving you is the easiest and most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life, Aang, even if sometimes it's the most painful too." He buried his face in her neck then, preparing to angle himself deeper inside her when she whispered his name.

He lifted his head. "Yeah, Katara?"

Katara drew him back against her and arched eagerly into his body with a muted gasp. "Welcome home."

**~The End~**


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